


I See My Future Before Me

by shiningsparkle, TheDyingMoon



Series: I See My Future Before Me - A Compendium [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Character Death, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Having Faith, Humor, Love Confessions, Romance, Swearing, Tragic Romance, Unrequited Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-08-13 12:00:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 38
Words: 125,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20173903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiningsparkle/pseuds/shiningsparkle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDyingMoon/pseuds/TheDyingMoon
Summary: ~ A V X Reader set in an Alternate Universe wherein Nero was able to defeat Urizen that 16th of May.~ V goes on a search for power to keep his mortal flesh from crumbling - a result from his failure to merge with Urizen. With the Yamato at his disposal, he goes to every place he could think of, looking for any clue and any kind of magic to heal him.His search for power leads him back to Red Grave where a disaster beyond anyone's imagination is already starting to claw its way towards the city's helpless citizens. He takes on the reckless job with familiar faces, hoping to redeem himself in front of others he have wronged before.Then, he meets her - a mysterious girl who also takes on the job but, unlike any of them, she doesn't look like she possesses any kind of power.What are the secrets she is hiding from him? What is that strange feeling that drew him towards her like a magnet?And most importantly, does she really hold the ability to prolong his life - the "power" he is searching for all those weeks?





	1. Prologue

***

You had to do it. You had no idea how long you would last, so, it’s all, or nothing. After all, you’re about to face the Dreadnought in a few hours. You had to really do it, before anything bad befall you.

You saw him there, standing outside of the van, calmly reading his beloved William Blake anthology. He was alone, and it was a perfect timing.

You inhaled deeply, actually expecting for the worse. Even despite your friend Nico’s reassurance that everything would turn out fine, you just could not shake off the foreboding feeling that this insane idea would end up with disastrous results.

But, then, you’re here with him now. There’s no use turning back.

And as he turned his gaze towards you in an acknowledgement of your greeting, you felt your heart do flips in erratic beats.

“How can I help you?” He said, ever so polite and well - mannered.

“I, uhh,…” You muttered. There’s at least one moment in your life when you just could not stop stuttering. And of all those times, why would you do it in front of the poet, of all people?! “I wanted to tell you something.”

“Go on.” He said quietly as he looked back at the pages of Blake’s illustrations. He may have allowed you to speak, but he sure didn’t look like he wanted to listen to you. Odd.

And this made your confidence plummet to the ground.

“I just wanted to say,… uhh,… thank you. For saving me earlier.”

“I always come when I can to help those in need.” He simply answered.

Your chest felt heavier, your breathing more labored. Your lips trembled as you tried to say the words,…

“You are such a good person, and I,… I really like you,… for that,…”

He was not looking up from his book. Was he even listening to you?

You took what courage and little confidence you had left and decided to pour everything out of your bursting chest.

“What I mean to say is, I really, really like you, V. I just thought I should let you know before,…” There! You finally said the words. But, before you could even begin to say the word ‘Dreadnought’, he looked up from his book with a smile on his lips.

That smile! Was Nico right, all along? That he’s, indeed, interested in you, as well? Were your efforts finally being paid off?

But, wait. That’s not his regular, charming smile. It was more like a,… smirk? A grin? Something felt really off with the look he’s giving you right now. Was it,… **_pity_**?

He left his spot and went slowly towards you, swinging his cane playfully.

“Those words you just uttered, were you certain about them?” He asked you, that strange smile still on his lips.

“Sorry?”

He just chuckled, like he was making fun of a child.

“Those feelings you have for me, I’m afraid we do not share them mutually.” He simply said without any difficulty.

As if breaking hearts was not foreign to him.

Well, you expected this all along. You forced a smile on your lips despite the crushing sensation you could feel in your chest.

“I see. Well, I just wanted you to know - ”

“But, that was not enough for you, yes?” Using his cane, he made you look up to him, propping your chin up to properly meet his piercing gaze. “You said I’m a good person, if I got it correctly.”

“Y-yes.”

“Then, I do feel obliged to tell you that I’ am not the person you seem to know. I’ am neither a good person, nor a hero you consider. In fact, I’ am the villain of your story.”

“V?” You said helplessly, confusion and sadness taking over.

“And I, may I add, only helped you because you seem so,… **_useless_**. Why would you even take up this massive commission in the first place? You are not as half as strong as the weakest Devil Hunter here to begin with. You are just a weak human who relies on others for survival.”

“I’m,…” You wanted to point out that he was totally wrong, that you had your own reasons for fighting this massive war, and that you did not come here unprepared. You just had to keep some,… **_secrets_**.

Unfortunately for you, you did not choose to divulge those things to others, save for Nico, your friend since childhood, and Dante, your current boss. It was partly one of the things that made you seem weak in front of others.

And he surely didn’t know your own reason for doing all of those, even though the pain you felt hiding all those things kept on piling up, higher and higher, until you could no longer contain the sadness.

Until you could no longer contain the tears of frustration and heartbreak.

And he didn’t stop there despite seeing the tears in your eyes.

It seemed like breaking your heart was not enough.

“You would only become a burden. I suggest you leave this place even before the first signs of the enemy.” He said, finally letting your chin go. He was about to walk away when he heard you call his name.

“I will not be a burden, V!” You helplessly said to him, tears streaming down your face. “I have to face this battle, please!”

“Apparently,” V said in a threatening voice as he turned back to look at you. He strode towards you like a predator, and you had to step back in fear of what he might do to you. “You are not only useless, but an imbecile, as well. If I were you, I would gladly take this chance to leave in order to spare my own life. Take it from me, it is better to run away.”

You could not say any more words to him. He completely broke you, and now, you just stood there, shocked, and a complete whimpering mess. He brought the tip of his cane down as forcefully as he could, summoning Shadow in the process as some of his tattoos vanished from his pale skin.

You looked as the great, dark Demon growled at you, something that made you even more heartbroken, for the huge cat, for some reason, used to purr quite loudly and shamelessly whenever you scratch her chin and ears as she laid down beside you.

“Now, we do not want bloodshed here so early on in the game. Leave. Now.” He warned for the very last time.

You had no choice but to turn away. From the Dreadnought. From your purpose.

From the man you have grown to love despite everything.

You may have spent the remaining hours of your life bawling out like an infant inside the van and letting it all out on Nico, but you could not just accept the outcome of your conversation with that man - your own reason for fighting.

“I’ll go.”

“Ya sure about this? You would surely not make it outta there alive. Not for gettin’ smacked by Demons.”

You looked up from the towel that Nico offered you to wipe your tears with.

“I know. I have accepted that ever since I decided to join. Nico, I know my fate, and I embrace it.”

Your friend sighed.

“Still can’t tell him?”

“No. He doesn’t have to know.”

You glanced out of the window to see the massive thing floating in the sky towards the deserted city. You were sure that the others were already dealing with it as of the moment.

You stood up and took your weapons, a violin and its bow. An instrument that your friend 'tweaked’ for you.

“I’ll go, just like the usual.”

“Alone?” Nico said, also standing up.

“And after the boys.” You said with utter resolution. V may have rejected your feelings, but he would not dare reject your _**permanent, once in a lifetime offer of an insurance policy**_, and you damn well know it.

***


	2. The Perfect Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ For him, it started about a week ago. But, for you, it all started way back since you were little.

For him, it started about a week ago. But, for you, it all started way back since you were little.

You didn’t exactly have a normal childhood, as one would experience. Yes, you were poor, and your parents were farmers. You have a little sister about two years younger than you and she was the only one who played with you. You and your family lived in a small village north of Fortuna, away from civilization, away from the bustling crowd. Of course, you never minded. You were young, and you honestly thought that you had the perfect life.

But, everything changed one day when a group of pale people came to visit your family. Behind a closed door, you and your sister listened in on the conversation between them and your parents, hearing your names being brought up occasionally. Then, they were gone. Your life returned to normal after that.

Or so, you thought. About a few days later, some men came to visit your father. You could still remember your mother tending to the wounds those men inflicted upon your father. Then, the next day, you woke up to the smell of burning wood. Your house was burning, and so was the vast field of wheat your parents have been painstakingly working on. All of you escaped. Thankfully, none of you were harmed. Your parents carried you and your sister towards the nearest village, knocking on doors, begging for food, offering labor for a shelter. Your father and mother did everything they could to provide for you, but none of the people from that village dared to even look at you and your family. You could even remember some of them throwing rocks at you, saying you were the “plague”, and that they would “perish” should they even try to look at you.

Then, as if by an unuttered prayer, those pale people came back, smiling at you, showing their sickly - looking white teeth, as if they were trying to eat you. Then, and only then, did your parents finally gave you and your sister. Of course, you struggled, not wanting to part from them, but to no avail. They took you and your sister away on a sleek, black carriage, which was being pulled by a pair of dark horses that seemed to glow both purple and blue. You even saw your parents being led somewhere by more of those pale people, down that dusty pathway, getting smaller and smaller until you could no longer see them from the window of the carriage.

The ride was suffocating and fearful. They all smiled at you, reassuring you that you will be safe, when in fact, you felt the opposite. A few minutes later, you arrived at their home - a dark castle that stood on a lone, dark forest. They led you two inside and showed you to your room without even giving you food. You could still remember your sister crying non - stop all throughout the evening.

That was just the beginning of the torture, though, for the next day proved to be too much for the both of your fragile bodies. You were harshly woken up by a pair of maids in pure white. They led you to a huge bathroom, gave you a harsh scrubbing, pulled your hair back and tied them into a severe ponytail, and dressed you in very tight and uncomfortable clothes. Then, you were led outside. A beautiful woman in black made you and your sister, and some other poor girls who, you’re sure, were taken from their families, as well, stand in that huge hallway in a perfect line formation. The woman said something about an age old story you can’t quite remember, then something about achieving “earthly perfection”, whatever that was. A sweet kind of music sounded off, and the woman in black started walking, looking at you and all the girls, appraising you with a scrutinizing eye. Then, she dismissed you, letting you have your meals.

The next day, as you stood in that hallway with your sister, you noticed that five girls were missing. That same woman in black finally opened that huge, ornate door and gestured all of you to enter. You soon noticed that the big, circular room you were led at had multiple mirrors as walls. Everywhere you look, there were those same pale people who smiled sweetly at you. At the woman’s signal, that same, sweet music from yesterday sounded off once more, but this time, the woman didn’t appraise you. Instead, a much younger lady came forward and started dancing in front of you, her graceful movements making you mesmerized. And as the lady danced, the woman spoke once more of that age old story and their goal of this earthly perfection. Then, all of you were made to follow into the dancer’s footsteps. She made you dance for hours, until none of you were no longer able to stand properly. After that, like yesterday, you were dismissed.

And, just like yesterday, a few girls went missing the next day. The lesson went on and on, the dances getting more and more difficult, the story getting more and more complex as the days gone by, as months passed, as years went on.

Blindly, you followed their rules, not wanting to end up missing, like those other girls. They forbade you to cut your hair, you were just taught to tie them intricately. You learned how to curb your appetite, as you could remember one girl going missing right after having too much food for her own good. You learned to walk with a straight back, not once letting yourself slouch for even a second, like that girl who went missing the next day. You diligently studied language and ancient art, not wanting to fail exams. The girls who failed? Well, away they go, not to be seen again. And, most of all, you did your best at dancing, not once letting your weak, starved body fall to the ground in exhaustion. You did the best you could to stay alive, for you knew what fate awaited you should you fail even once.

After six whole years of torture, you knew you were closely getting to the image of your captors’ idea of an earthly perfection. That was, until your teacher introduced you to your first ballet shoes. You, and what was left of you girls, were made to wear and stand using them. Half of you failed, including you. You knew from the moment you fell that they were surely going to murder you, but your sister, who once cried herself to sleep for two years straight, who always relied on you for help, who ran to you for support in times of true pain, stepped up and shielded you away from the pale people who tried to take you away. At first, they were mad, unable to stand a slave who had the guts to stand up to them. But, when she spread out her arms like wings, held her head high like a queen, and stood perfectly using those hellish shoes, they were wide - eyed. And not only that. The moment she started dancing to the sweet music that tortured you for years, it was clear that she had already surpassed your teacher.

A fair and beautiful maiden lacking of any visible flaw, your sister has achieved her earthly perfection.

The pale people were beyond ecstatic. But, most of all, you were grateful to her. They would never take you away, for they have acquired your sister. What are you, a failure, to them when they already have her? You stood up to hug her, but she only gave you a sad look.

Days passed, and your sister became more and more distant. She didn’t talk to you, and she never even slept on the same room with you anymore. She was being treated like a Goddess, pampered and spoiled and looked after. Whenever you call her name, she would just give you a melancholic look.

Then, on that particularly rainy day, she didn’t show up. You tried asking your teacher about her, but of course, she would not answer. Days gone by without her, and you began to really fear for her.

_ **What did they do to her? She was perfect! A maiden born of their ideologies and beliefs!** _

You had enough. You strode towards your teacher and demanded to know where she was. She only looked at you with coldness in her eyes and plainly told you that your sister had failed. You argued with her, until you were finally taken away by those pale people, throwing you in a dark and cold dungeon, where you saw, in utter horror, some items, a comb, a hairpin, a stained ribbon - some of the personal belongings of the girls who went missing. You knew you were going to die.

For a long time, you stayed there, starving and at the brink of death. Until the door was opened and you were harshly let out. They dragged you further down into the deepest, darkest part of the castle. Your time was slowly coming to an end. They led you into a dark room illuminated only by a single torch from the wall. They practically threw you inside and shut the door. You tried to stand up, but didn’t have enough strength. It was then that you heard some movements from the farthest corner of the room. You tried to see past your spinning vision to know what it was, but the moment you saw it, you knew it was all over, for a fearful, demonic being with long, twisted horns approached you, its eyes yellow, its drool dripping on the cold ground.

You knew it would surely kill, or worse, eat you, but then, you suddenly heard a tiny voice inside your head. As the Demon approached you, the voice became louder and clearer, addressing you.

“_**Mortal who is about to cross fates, why have you summoned **__**me?**_” It questioned you.

You knew you were only having a delusion, and at that point, who cared for you, anyway? Your parents were gone, your sister was gone. What would you do except to accept the fact that your miserable life was coming to an end?

The Demon growled at you and lunged forward for the kill, when you were suddenly enveloped by a shield of warm light. You were shocked upon seeing an entity made of light materialize in front of you.

“Who,… what are,… y-you?” Your weak voice barely made out the sentence.

“**_I’ am the one called_** \- ”

The Demon, who was getting angrier and angrier, growled even louder as it tried to get past the shield of light that was conjured up by the being of light in front of you.

“… **_a. Aspect of future. Protector of the present. Bearer of the past. I have come to fulfill a wish._**”

“A wish?”

The entity was glowing so brightly, casting the shadows aside, drawing the Demon out, almost melting its tough skin with the radiance. It spoke once more.

“_**You who are worthy of power, speak my name, and I shall do all your bidding.**_”

You tried to stand up and approach it. You opened your mouth and uttered a single word - the ancient name that bound you to this entity for as long as you lived.

And the moment you spoke its name, a flash of bright light blinded both you and the Demon. The guards outside were startled, and when they opened the door to investigate, they were met by this entity, now taking over your body as its host. They fell on their knees, instantly recognizing you as their savior, but they were gravely mistaken as you held out your hand and disintegrated them with pure light, just like what you did with the Demon before them.

After that, the entity led you up towards the upper level, blasting a door on the sixth floor where the pale people secretly gathered. There, in your complete and utter horror, you saw your sister, or what remained of her, crucified on a steel cross surrounded by wilted roses. Her once beautiful body was mangled, almost beyond recognition. A crown of thorns was placed on her head where blood still dripped, and beneath her, on the bloodstained marble floor, was a form of an intricate circle with unknown writings on it.

The pale people, just like those guards before, fell down on their knees and threw their hands down in worship.

“O great one!”

“We thought we failed!”

“You have come to fulfill our wishes!”

“Take our offering of an earthly perfection as a sacrifice, and we’ll do all your bidding!”

“Grant our wishes!”

“Grant our wishes!”

But, you were beyond mad and terrified for what they did to your sister.

So, this was all this is about - them abducting little girls, forming and torturing them to be perfect, only to be offered to an unknown entity who would fulfill their greedy wishes?!

“All of you,…” you boomed in a loud and unrecognizable voice. “DIE!”

With the new power you acquired, you killed everyone on sight, not sparing a single life. You burned everything down from ceiling to floor, lighting up the night and filling it with unearthly screams of death and despair. You blamed yourself for your sister’s death, not being good enough to protect her.

You lost your parents, you lost your sister, you lost everything.

It was all because of those pale people who worshipped a fake god in order to satiate their own greed.

But, you also blamed yourself for not being strong, and _**perfect**_, enough to protect your loved ones.

***

“As I was saying,” A stunning brunette was talking to her freckled and energetic daughter. “You can’t just go in there uninvited, Nicoletta!”

“Why?! He’s my father!” The freckled daughter argued. “Why can’t I see my father?”

“Because he had a lot of important things to do.”

“More important than coming home?”

“Nicoletta, that’s,…”

The mother just sighed. Her daughter was right. Why was her husband not coming home? Was his work more important than them, his own family?

She remained silent as she contemplated for a while until Nicoletta started pulling on her apron.

“What is it now?”

The mother looked at the direction where Nicoletta was pointing at and found, lying on the ground naked and unconscious, a girl with long hair and fair skin. She was there right at the ruins of an old castle and she was clearly not there for a good night’s rest.

“Mum, what’s that?”

“Oh, my God!” The mother almost dropped the contents of her shopping bag as she and her daughter Nicoletta ran towards her.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Nicoletta Goldstein


	3. The Tattooed Poet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ V, and the rest of his familiars, have been on a vagabond tour around the world, visiting places like Delphi in search of a different kind of power to save his own flesh from crumbling.

_ **“Break this heavy chain** _

** _That does freeze my bones around!_ **

** _Selfish, vain,_ **

** _Eternal bane,_ **

** _That free love of bondage bound.”_ **

The female tourist guide, who had been anxiously glancing at V from a distance, finally mustered up enough courage to approach him with a nervous smile. She cleared her throat, hoping to get immediately noticed without ever having to call his attention in a not - so civilized way.

Fortunately for her, her heavy and noisy footsteps against the rocky pathway proved to be very efficient for gaining attention.

V looked up from the wonderful world of William Blake’s book of poetic sketches and smiled at her, adding to the poor woman’s already escalating discomfort.

“Ahh, I,…” the lady stuttered, not sure how to address the dire situation to V.

He graciously decided to end her conversational torture. “You do look like something has been bothering you. How can I be of service?” he said, his low, raspy voice not helping with the lady’s nerves.

“Yes, well.” she began, then inhaled sharply through her nose. She then pointed at the bird on V’s left shoulder, and the huge cat lying on his feet. “The other guests are getting anxious of your,… ahh,… _**pets**_.”

Immediately picking up on the woman’s concern, V nodded and actually laughed. The first time in about three weeks since that day. “I see. Don’t worry.” He stood up from the comfort of the wooden bench near the ruins of the temple, making his “pets” move away from him. He strode towards the woman, lips curled up in a devilish yet adorable smirk. “These are my loyal,… companions. They would bring no harm to any of the innocent people here. That,…” the tone of his voice suddenly became lower as he twirled his metal cane playfully. “I can assure you.”

The lady let out a helpless laugh, then nodded. “Okay. Whatever you say.” She hastily moved away from him to give herself a safe distance from V’s familiars and clumsily pointed at the breathtaking horizon. “Well, now, enjoy your stay here at Delphi!”

As Griffon watched the retreating form of the tourist guide with laughter in its devilishly yellow eyes, V’s green ones scanned the beautiful place. Delphi really was a marvel, an ancient beauty that must’ve took even the most vile of the Demons’ breath away.

He closed his book, put it away for a while, and proceeded to explore the place, particularly the ruins of Apollo’s temple, where the tourist bus dropped him.

“So, V,…” Griffon said, catching up to his master. “Are we going to look for that thing there?”

“Not this time.” V answered. “For now, I need to take a rest and reflect upon our journey, so far.”

It’s true. V, and the rest of his familiars, have been on a vagabond tour around the world, visiting places like Delphi. First, he visited Egypt’s infamous pyramids, then he proceeded to China’s mysterious terracotta tombs. He also went to the Himalayas ( he didn’t stay there for long, considering the weather ), then Norway. He had been to such places in just three weeks that he had to keep a separate journal where he logs in about the details of his journey.

It’s not like he just wanted to or anything.

The truth was - he failed in his initial mission to merge with Urizen that fifteenth of May. Who knew that boy Nero had enough power within him to beat his demonic half? So, thanks to the boy, he could no longer regain his full self.

But, it wasn’t entirely the boy’s fault. As a matter of fact, it all rooted from one foolish decision that changed his life forever.

It was all because of his desire to gain more power in order to defeat his twin brother.

And now, he had no choice but to search for a different kind of power - any kind - this time, _**to save himself.**_

_ **To prevent his human flesh from crumbling.** _

Thus, started his vagabond ways alongside Griffon, Shadow, Nightmare, _and_ -

“The Yamato really does wonders, huh?” Griffon said, then chuckled, ruffling his own feathers in delight with tiny shakes. “Who knew it would go directly to you and not to that kid Nero?”

“For one thing, I’ am the rightful owner of the Yamato, not the boy Nero.” V answered as he skipped some rocks along the pathway that led to the ruins of the temple. “I think it was fitting that it answered to me. But, as grateful as I’ am that it was returned to me,” he said, stopping at what looked like the remains of an altar. “I must not abuse my fragile body by using it over and over to transport us. You see,” he began tracing the remains with the tip of his cane. “It consumes way too much of my,… demonic power. I must be wary of that fact.”

“Aha, so that’s why we had to hitch that stinkin’ bus ride with that awful bitch! Didn’t know how to keep her mouth shut!” Of course, Griffon was referring to the tourist guide who called him a _pet_ earlier.

“Now, be nice to our little human.” V reprimanded the demonic bird. “We will ’_hitch_’ on the same vehicle on the way back.”

“Ugh! Not again,…”

As Griffon threw tantrums for every tourist in the remains of Apollo’s temple to see, V’s eyes wandered at the altar and thought of that beloved story his mother read to him a very long time ago. He closed his eyes and searched through his tired mind for the right words, finally arriving at some that gave his heart a little ache of nostalgia.

_ **“As she comes to the city, hollow hands empty,** _

** _Eyes open to what lies in wait for her,”_ **

As V recited the very few lines he could remember of that beloved poem from his childhood, Shadow started purring, rubbing his legs with her huge form like she was a normal house cat. V smiled, knowing that he had, at least, one interested audience. Then, he went on.

_ **“She does not weep nor wail,** _

** _In her eyes, home has always been burning.”_ **

All of a sudden, Shadow stopped purring. In fact, she stopped moving. She has become rigid, looking like a statue in front of V. He and Griffon noticed this and took note of her glowing red eyes that slowly turned bright blue.

V’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Curious.” He muttered under his breath.

Griffon flew towards him and whispered, “She’s acting hella weird. What do we do to her?”

V smiled and took a sideways glance at Griffon.

“Then, we’ll have the perfect opportunity to put your new skill on display for the audience.”

“What?! Right here?!”

“Right here.” V answered, not once losing his resolve. “Right now.”

“And what’s in it for me, huh, Shakespeare?”

“I will,… forever be,… in your debt.” V said, holding up his right arm and using his cane to point towards the bright, sunny, sky.

“Okay! As if I could refuse.”

“I’ am truly grateful.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Griffon huffed, then flew towards the sky, high above the ruins of Apollo’s temple.

As V watched the demonic bird flew around the air, he could not help but regret his decision. He yearned to see this place. It was, after all, the place from that precious story, as told to him by his beloved mother. Of course, he wanted to stay, to bask in the warm, sunny weather, to learn the ways of the locals, to be able to speak their native tongue, to know the rich history of the land, to dive into the hidden knowledge and wisdom Apollo has to offer,…

But, as the situation called, they, he, must act immediately.

And as V glanced back at his dark, petrified familiar, he noticed that the atmosphere was slowly turning heavy. Griffon was beginning to work his new magic.

“Alright, you weird folks!” The bird said as he flapped his wings, summoning all the power he had. “Party’s over! Go home!”

Griffon spread his wings, letting power in the form of electricity run through them, and folded them once more. As he let out a guttural sound, he spread his beautiful blue wings once more, releasing a different kind of power that made his eyes white. But, this time, the electricity didn’t land on the ground like what always happens when they’re fighting against other Demons. The almost unnoticeable currents reached the clouds and crawled throughout the sky, instantly enveloping the immediate vicinity with darkness.

As the people looked up, they realized that it was going to rain. But, another flap of Griffon’s wings summoned numerous lightning bolts from the sky that crashed to the ground, narrowly missing everyone by mere inches.

After a minute of his stormy display, Griffon flew down back beside V, knowing that his mission was a success, which was an understatement, considering the fact that none of the tourists were hurt.

“Okay, Shakespeare, coast is clear.” He said to the man, feeling proud of his new skill.

“Thank you.” V smiled at the bird, then turned back to Shadow, who was literally melting. “And now, for the task at hand,…”

V closed his eyes, then held out his left hand in front of Shadow. The action instantly triggered a reaction from the rigid Demon, making its form disintegrate and fall to the ground like shattered glass. With a different gesture of his hand, V made the shattered glass rise up once more from the ground, letting it take shape, forming jet black vines that grew and grew until they were as tall as the pillars of the temple. One last hand movement from V made the vines grew equally dark roses of all sizes.

As Shadow morphed into multiple vines, V took a step back, waiting and waiting, until the largest rose sprout out from one of the vines. He and Griffon watched in awe as the black rose opened, revealing something inside. He took a step forward and pulled it out of the flower. It was the Yamato, and it was glowing in a very unusual way.

“What is wrong with that thing?” Griffon asked as he looked at the Yamato and its radiance. “Did that thing go like that before?”

“If memory serves me right,” V began, unsheathing the sword and letting the blinding blue light from the blade splash around his surroundings. “It did so, just one time when,…”

All of a sudden, the light became even more blinding as the sword became warmer and warmer in V’s hands.

“Whoah! No wonder that cat’s acting weird!” Griffon shrieked, hiding behind V. “You made her eat a laser sword!”

“Hush.” V said, seemingly unaffected by the light of the Yamato. “It beckons me. It seems that it wanted me,… someplace else.”

“Will you go, V? You still haven’t recovered from your last journey!”

“I know.” V answered as he positioned the sword high above the air. “But, I also know not to ignore the Yamato’s call.”

And with two clean swipes, V managed to create a portal that led to some place that seemed to softly glow, like a warm sunset. Or sunrise.

“Let’s go.” V said, calling both Griffon and Shadow back to him and entering the portal.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> V  
Griffon  
Shadow


	4. The Strange Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Nico offers a mission to both V and Nero. What could it be?

_ **“Ave Maria,** _

** _Gratia plena!_ **

** _Maria, gratia plena,_ **

** _Maria, gratia plena!”_ **

V could hear, as clear as day, the solemn music that was coming from the other side of the portal. He walked, reaching the end of the dark tunnel, until light enveloped his entire body, giving him warmth. He finally arrived to his destination. But, all of a sudden, he was met with a violent slash of light that almost ripped him in two. If it weren’t for Griffon, who grabbed the collar of his dark, leather vest just in time, he would probably be as good as dead.

“What the hell?!” Griffon screeched, looking around for any sign of Demons.

V looked around, as well, but saw nothing, except for a pastel pink, fur blanket on the grass beneath his feet, an empty basket, and the radio which played the song, “Ave Maria”. He picked up the blanket and immediately noticed that it was still warm, not to mention very fragrant, like the smell of fresh flowers blooming in the morning.

“She was just here.” V said, his voice almost dropped to a very low whisper.

“**_She_**?!” Griffon shot back. “How did you even know that was a girl? She tried to chop you like onions!”

_Yes, how did he know that? Was it some kind of a strange, gut feeling, or one of his suppressed, male instincts?_

“No matter. I’m very certain that we are the ones who are at fault here. We startled her.” he said, purposefully making his voice louder. He took a quick glance at the bushes on his right and noticed something moving behind it. He smiled and placed the soft blanket back down on the ground. “I think I’ll return this.”

“Shall we go after her?”

“There’s,… no need for that.” he answered, making sure that his voice could be heard by that person behind the bushes. He then faced the path before him and walked, making sure that Griffon’s following closely behind him. “We must press on.”

The sun was getting low. Despite that, he still took the time to admire the lush garden of the very familiar place. He had been here, he knew it. And, the moment he arrived at the main road of the city, there was no mistaking it:

He was back at Red Grave.

_But, why did the Yamato bring them there, of all places?_

It looked as though he would no longer muse any longer, for there, speeding from the distance with a sleek, blue motorcycle, was the boy, himself. Nero was about to pass V when he noticed him standing there on the sidewalk. He put the vehicle to a halt, hitting the break, and stopping right beside V.

“Hey, V!” Nero said, smiling at him. “Long time no see.”

“It has been quite a while.” V said, then smiled back, not wanting to let the boy know that he was still a bit mad at him for what happened the last time they saw each other.

“Was it a month already?”

“Three weeks, you idiot!” Griffon screeched at him.

“And the little chicken is here!” Nero joked, pointing at Griffon and effectively mocking him with the cursed nickname. “Now, I know what we’re having for dinner!”

“Why, you, son of a - !”

V quickly shielded Griffon with his cane, or the other way around, and tilted his head sideways, letting his hair fall to the half part of his face. “It seems that you are in a hurry.”

“Yeah, I’m going to Nico’s.” Nero mentioned. “Said she had a job for me.”

“And what would that be?”

Nero shrugged his shoulders. “Beats me. She only said to ’_hustle over and make it damn quick’_. Look, she even told me to bring formal wear. I don’t even know what that is!” He pointed at the compartment of the motorcycle with his thumb and gave it a disgusted look. “Luckily, Kyrie knows stuff. She’s a real life saver.”

“Is that so?” V said, making himself sound like he was genuinely interested.

And, it was a success.

“Wanna tag along?” Nero graciously offered, revving his badass motorcycle and looking really proud.

_What a simpleton._

A few moments later, V found himself riding with Nero, letting the delicious, early evening air splash on his face and sweep his wavy, jet black locks. He held onto the boy’s shoulders with a hand, his other one firmly holding onto the metal cane and making sure it’s not in the way as Nero drove.

“So, this job,…” V had to make his voice louder for him to be heard above the sound of the speeding vehicle. “Is it Devil May Cry related?”

“I think.” Nero answered, not letting his eyes off the road for a minute. “I knew I told her not to bug me unless she wants me to kill some shit.”

“And this,… _vehicle_?”

V noticed the boy chuckle. “It was a gift from the mayor of Red Grave for defeating that son of a bitch.” He was referring to none other than Urizen, V’s demonic half. “Well, actually, I bought it using the money he offered me for saving the lives of the citizens. Kyrie was opposed to this, at first, telling me I had no discipline with things like this.”

“She was right.” V answered. “You are not wearing any protection for your,…. _cranium_.”

“Ahh, yeah, I think I forgot my helmet back home. Kyrie’s gonna slit my throat for this,…”

V smirked, actually wishing for it to happen. However, at the simple thought of slitting someone else’s throat, one person immediately popped into his mind.

“And,… _Dante_?” V asked. That’s it, he finally asked about his stupid twin brother.

“He got paid by the mayor, too. But, he squandered everything in a casino one night, losing in one fell swoop. Let’s just say he ended up with more debt than usual.”

“Oh. I see.” V said, musing about the fact. He may know Dante to be a bit of a risk - taker when it comes to challenges. But, he knew for certain that he would never take part in any challenge unless he knew from the start that he would win. Aside from that, he knew Dante would not indulge into such things, unless,…

So, why? V knew his brother too much. Was he secretly - ?

“We’re here.” Nero announced, putting the vehicle to a stop in front of a twenty - story building in an actually fancy neighborhood a few kilometers away from the park V just transported into.

He got down and looked up at the apartment, fully anticipating everything that would possibly happen to him from then on. If the Yamato really intended for him to be here, then he might as well do anything he can to unravel this rare phenomenon that reunited him with these people.

After properly parking the motorcycle, Nero invited V inside the apartment. Once inside, they noticed that the walls of the lobby were filled with classic, renaissance - style murals that simply took V’s breath away. It’s not everyday that he could see such sights as this, after all. Murals in an apartment? That’s something. And clearly, Nero was surprised, as well.

“Huh, who knew Nico lived in a fancy place now?” the boy said as he pressed the elevator button that would lead the two of them to the sixteenth floor.

V didn’t answer. Instead, he listened in on the music that was being played inside the elevator. Nero noticed V’s interest in it and smiled.

“You like these kinds of things, yeah?”

“Definitely.” V answered, his mind still on the riveting piece of music that was Mozart. “Actually made me miss playing the violin.”

“Oh, right.” Nero nodded, then jerked his head towards V in utter shock. “Wait, _you could play the violin_?!”

But, before V could even answer, they arrived at the destined floor. The two got out and went directly to the third room on the right. Nero checked and double checked the crumpled note he produced from his pocket and confirmed it was the right place.

“Okay. This is it.” he said, and before he could even knock, the door was slammed open, almost whacking him in the face. “What the fuck?!”

“You’re late, psycho!” Nico, the tattooed female who opened the door, screamed at him. “What did I tell ya about the third ring rule?!”

“Stop bitching! V’s right here! I found him on the way here.” Nero screamed right back at Nico, who immediately noticed the poet’s presence in the area.

“Hey, you must be him, huh?” Nico cooled down, appraising her surprise visitor with an expert eye. “The mysterious one who hired Dante.”

“You are looking at this mysterious one right now.” V answered good - naturedly.

“Then, let’s not wait for the grass to grow! Come in!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> V  
Griffon  
Nero  
Nico


	5. The Fancy Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Nico gives something truly fancy to V and Nero. Is that,... an invitation for a party?

Once inside, V noticed that not only the lobby got to be lavished with such care and attention when it comes to decoration.

Nico’s unit was surprisingly neat and decorated in such a way that made Nero stare in disbelief and V look with wonder. Several paintings that depicted some popular stories of the Greek Mythology, like the sojourns of Heracles, the forbidden love of Aphrodite and Ares, and the abduction of Persephone, hung on the wall. There were fragile things around, like some painted vases, that would surely make anyone be mindful of their movements. There were even some old collections, like Homer, Alighieri, and even Lovecraft, on the shelves located on the beige - and - black - ensemble living room, small, but impressive, all the same. But, most importantly, there was a classic feel, and distinct scent, about the whole place that simply made V right at home.

“Looks like someone feels comfortable.” Nero said, but he was ignored as V practically strode directly towards the glass top table in the living room where a black violin case was left forgotten.

The markings on V’s skin vanished as Griffon and Shadow made their way out and made themselves comfortable like their master.

Nico came in, bringing in the delivery of pizza that just arrived a few minutes ago.

“Who knew someone like you could own a place like this?” Nero mocked the woman, pointing at the impossibly beautiful and cozy place. “Surely doesn’t sound like you.”

“Shut it, psycho!” Nico shot back, enjoying her banter with Nero and unceremoniously dropping the three boxes of pizza on the table near the violin case, startling V a bit. “And just to inform ya, I don’t own this fancy place.”

“Whoa, then who lives here?” Griffon, who has made himself comfortable on top of the shelves, joined in on the conversation. “Don’t tell me you stole it!”

“No, little chicken! Any questions?” Nico screamed at Griffon’s face, almost making the demonic bird fall off the shelves in fright. “I’m livin’ here for a while, and I will appreciate it if ya don’t make a mess, or else I’ll throw you out,… or cook you in a steel pot!” She collapsed on the comfortable black sofa beside Nero and crossed her legs. “Any more questions, huh, little chickee?”

She reached into her pocket for a cigar and immediately stopped, suddenly looking horrified. She shook her head and cursed under her breath.

“What’s wrong, given up with that nasty habit of yours?” Nero asked, already opening a box and digging in.

“No, it’s just that,…” Nico said, fidgeting with her fingers. “She doesn’t allow it here.”

“Who?” Nero said, mouth already full of the special loaded beef supreme.

Nico pointed at the violin case in V’s gentle hands ( in a space of a few seconds, nobody noticed the tattooed man as he picked it up ). “The one who owned that, and this place.”

The childish smile on V’s face disintegrated as he carefully out the violin case back down on the table. “Then, I guess I shall have to ask her first. Where is she?”

Nico shrugged. “Dunno. Said she’ll be back before sunset.”

“But, it’s already half past six.” Nero retorted, mouth full of his third helping of the beef supreme.

“Yeah, well, she’ll get by.” Nico answered, reaching into her pocket and producing a small piece of black envelope. “What we need to focus on right now is this.”

As Nico put the envelope down on the table, V sat at the sofa across her and Nero, eyeing the suspicious thing with furrowed eyebrows.

“This is an RSVP from a wealthy man who lives just a few blocks away from here.” Nico explained.

Nero chuckled, already picking up his fourth helping of the pizza. “Is that an invitation for a fancy party, or something?”

“See for yourself.”

Nero was about to pick the envelope with his oily, messy hands when V stealthily snatched it away with his gloved hand, immediately tearing it open. And before he could extract the actual invitation inside, he carefully glanced at Nico and Nero’s direction.

“If I may?” He said in a low voice, his smirk truly branding him as the mysterious man that they knew.

“Go ahead.” Nico conceded, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Thank you.” He said, finally extracting the small piece of paper inside and reading its contents aloud. “_**You who are brave enough to face the wrath of the Gods, come to this place this coming Saturday at exactly eight in the evening**_. It said nothing else,… except for the address,…” V’s eyes lazily went back to the note, scanning it and making sure that he would not miss even the tiniest bit of detail, then looked at them once more. “… and the dress code.”

“A riddle, huh?” Nero said. “Sure doesn’t sound like Devil May Cry business.”

“You’re wrong right there.” Nico muttered, having her first slice of pizza. “That exact invitation was sent to others within the country. Devil Hunters, to be exact. Hey, V, wanna eat?”

“I’m good, thank you.” V answered, outright politely refusing the offer.

“How did you even know that?” Nero asked.

Nico leaned in closer to Nero like she was going to tell a huge secret. “So, I have contact with the others, like Lady and Trish. It seems that they also received the invitation. They even mentioned some famous and obscure names in the Devil Hunting business who got the invitation.”

V listened in, absorbing every piece of information he could take.

“And, let me mention this - _**Dante also received one**_.”

All of a sudden, all three of them heard a yelping sound near the window. Griffom almost fell off the shelves while the two men stood up, drawing sword and cane, ready for battle.

“Someone’s listening!” Nero said, revving his Red Rose.

“Looks like we have an,… unwanted visitor.” V whispered, slamming his cane against his left palm several times, ready to give some _beatings_. “Best to make it at home - ”

“Guys, guys! Stop!” Nico practically shrieked, standing up between the men and the window where they heard the suspicious sound. “What did I say about making a mess?!”

“Hey, hey! There’s an intruder right - AHH!” Griffon flew off the shelves, almost ripping the cream curtains when the tattooed woman suddenly grabbed him by the beak and forcefully threw him across the room, making both Nero and V dodge the incoming projectile. Shadow, who was actually unfazed all throughout the ordeal, looked up as Griffon flew, involuntarily, from point A to point B, and went back to lounging on the carpeted floor near V, chin resting on sleek, black forelegs.

“To not make any?” Nero muttered, answering Nico’s question but still not willing to put his weapon down.

“Exactly! That’s just the - ah - _neighbor’s cat_!”

“That,…” V said, pointing at the window using his cane as an extension of his arm. “… does not sound like a feline, at least to my ears.”

“Okay, okay, guys! Trust me and put your weapons down. Thank you!” Nico breathed a sigh of relief as the men calmed down a bit. “Now, as I was saying, we must go to this event and find out what this, _wrath of the Gods_, is!”

“We cannot go shorthanded.” V mentioned, still looking at the window suspiciously. “If we take the riddle in a very literal sense, then,… we would not have enough strength. We would be dealing with _the wrath of the Gods_,… after all.”

“That’s where I come in!” Nico crossed her arms and smiled proudly. “Nero, how’s the breaker coming along?”

Nero held up a blue metal arm which V shamefully did not take notice of before. “It’s fine, sure.”

“Oh, yeah? Then, I’ll be making new ones.”

“Isn’t this enough?”

“No!” Nico screamed, then turned towards V, and using the same tone she used on Nero, she spoke to him, making his eyes leave the window. “And, you! You seem interested in all this, yes?”

“As a matter of fact, I'am.” And it was the plain truth.

“Then, go get your own formal wear! I can’t provide you with one. I’m an artisan, not a freaking, fancy tailor!”

“Wait, like, right now?” Nero asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Duh?! Are you, like, gonna wait till Saturday for that? Go, go, GO!” Nico, despite her diminutive size, tried to push both Nero and V towards the door, making the two of them leave.

_ **But, why?** _

Nero might be easily swayed by the woman, but V remained sharp. His eyes lingered for a second at the direction of the window when Nico snapped her fingers right in front of his eyes.

“Hey, hey, if you’re looking for some chicks, then you’re in the wrong place!” Nico sassed. “Get moving!”

V sighed, getting annoyed by the woman. _**What was she hiding from them?**_

He called in Griffon and Shadow, who went to him without question, and followed Nero outside, hearing the woman close the door quickly as soon as they got out.

And as soon as the two were safely out, Nico hustled towards the place V was intently staring at, drew the heavy curtains, and revealed the wide - eyed girl who was just hiding at the balcony right behind the window pane. Nico opened the window and let the girl in.

“Are you crazy?!” She shouted at the girl. “Why would you be hiding there? This is your home, for crying out loud! Are you a thief, or something?!”

You just looked at Nico, (E/C) eyes still wide, chest still heaving.

“It’s him, Nico.” You said.

“I’m sorry, what?”

You grabbed Nico’s shoulders and gave them a mighty shake. “It’s him! The man with the violin in my visions!”

“Who?!”

“The one with the markings on his skin!”

It was Nico’s turn to have widened eyes. She looked behind her at the door the two men just walked out of, then looked back at you. “The mysterious man? Are you sure about that?”

Yes, you were very certain of it. “It. Is. HIM!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> V  
Nico  
Griffon  
Shadow  
Nero  
You ( Reader )


	6. Nico's Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ You faced your long - time best friend, Nico, as you told her your motivation for taking on the same mission as V.

You wearily looked at the three boxes of pizza on the glass top table in front of you, one being almost empty, courtesy of Nero. Then, you looked at Nico, who settled on the sofa across you, legs apart and one elbow on a knee.

“Dinner?” Nico offered, getting a slice herself.

You shook your head.

“I’m not having any of that.” Your friend for ten years retorted, picking a slice and forcefully handing it to you. “Eat!”

You two have always been like this, you refusing food and the freckled girl always shoving them your way, anyway.

The moment you woke up in their home ten years ago, you were aware that you were so close to dying due to starvation. But, due to the strict orders of those scumbags who abducted you, you were taught to avoid temptations like hunger. Of course, upon realizing how malnourished you looked, Nico and her mother practically forced you to eat, telling you to not die on them. And on the following days after that, you were fed all sorts of home - cooked meals, thanks to Nico’s mother, that slowly improved your impoverished state.

You took a little bite off the pizza, slightly wincing on its spicy taste, then threw all kinds of pretense out of the window and took a box for yourself, digging in and giving in to your hunger.

“So, what you mean to say,” Nico began, her mouth half - full of her food. “… is that V is who you are looking for all these past ten years?”

You nodded, unable to answer with a full mouth.

“How could you even tell? I mean, you told me that the man in your visions had white hair.”

It’s true. After the events that took place in that cursed castle, the entity has been giving you little visions of the future. Sometimes, it’s just trivial things, like predicting Nico’s results in her exams as a student, the weather for the next week, and visitors.

But, one prominent thing that the entity was always showing you was the vision of a white - haired man playing the violin. And what’s more, the entity would sometimes speak to you in your head, subtly whispering stuff like,

“**_You must find him_**.”

And

“**_You must go to him_**.”

However, just a year ago, the entity gave you vague and horrifying warnings about this man, telling you all of a sudden to,

“**_Protect him at all cost_**.”

“**_Save him from his death_**.”

And

“**_Fulfill the wish_**.”

Especially the second and last warning. Despite the vision staying the same for ten years, the warnings were getting more and more drastic that it simply could no longer be ignored. You had no idea how to “**_fulfill the wish_**”, but you were very certain that the entity would show you how when the time comes.

Which led you to the events that were beginning to unfold right before you.

“Dude with white hair,…” Nico mumbled. “If it is Dante, then I would understand. But, V?”

“I told you.” You replied. “I felt it the moment I saw him in the park earlier this afternoon. That,… _feeling _I didn’t have when I met Dante.” You took your third helping of the pizza and looked at Nico gravely in the eye. “But, this man. I could feel it, Nico. It’s him. I must fulfill the entity’s wish, and I won’t rest until I do.”

“Alright, alright, honey, you’ve made your point.” Nico leaned on the comfortable sofa and crossed her legs. “So, you sure you’re going?”

“Yes.”

“Very well.” Nico stood and went to one of the rooms. When she came back, she was carrying a large, white box. She placed it down on the floor, considering it was too big to place on the table, and carefully opened it, revealing its contents.

Your eyes widened in delight and surprise at such wonder. “It’s so breathtaking!” You admired the object inside the box.

Nico smiled at you and lightly punched your shoulder. “You have to look your best this Saturday.”

You gently took the glistening fabric, holding it like it was the most fragile thing in the world, and frowned.

“Aww, don’t tell me you don’t like it!”

You glanced at Nico and held the thing closer to you. “No, it’s not like that. I just couldn’t believe that I’m finally going to meet him.”

“Well, if you’re that excited, why didn’t you just introduce yourself earlier like a normal human being?” Nico had a point.

“I’m scared.” You answered, and it was the truth. You did find V very intimidating, especially that time when he just _transported_ right above you earlier in the park. “What if I screw this up? How can I be able to protect him if I’m like this? You saw him and how powerful he is! He’s got some,… **_pets_** with him,…”

Nico’s eyebrows furrowed. She knew you were very shy and that you needed the proper motivation for you to keep moving forward.

She stood up and went back to the sofa to eat pizza. “I was wondering. You, a weak girl without the help of your entity, trained to be a good fighter against Demons, bugged me to death a thousand times for a weapon of your own, and even deliberately blackmailed Dante into letting you join Devil May Cry, all because of this **_funny mission_** your entity gave you.” She leaned in to get a closer look at you and eyed you very seriously. “What is your motivation? And don’t ya dare keep your mouth shut because ya haven’t told me a single shit about it. Spill the beans, honey.”

You sighed, no longer able to think of some clever way out of this. You put the fabric down and joined Nico at the sofa.

“That vision with the white - haired man, that was not the only thing I saw.” You took Nico’s right hand and gave it a light squeeze. “Beyond that, I saw something else.”

“What is it?”

You looked at Nico and slightly shook your head, brows furrowed at the thought. “It wasn’t quite clear to me yet, but I saw myself with this man. And there was a child.”

Nico’s eyes widened, her mouth forming an O. “Is that your future baby, then?”

“I’m not sure. I told you, it wasn’t quite clear. And then, I saw a house, an afternoon picnic, him playing the violin again, and,…”

“And - ?” Nico was fully anticipating the next thing you would say, when you suddenly squeezed her hand too tight with all your might, hurting her. “Ouch! Hey, watch it!” She withdrew her hand from you, rubbing it and hoping for the pain to go away. She was about to scold you for it when she saw you becoming red from forehead to chest. “Aha! You saw something lewd, did ya?!”

“NO!” you screamed at her face, your blush deepening even further, and knowing that she will not believe you because of it. “Anyway, the point is: I finally have a chance to build something I lost when I was a child. A lovely house, afternoon picnics, a family to call my own! Nico, this is it! My dream of a perfect family, and the entity has led me right into it!”

“You really should have introduced yourself to V.” Nico muttered, shaking her head and frowning. “You might get along pretty well,…”

“That’s not how it works, Nico. To have that, I must fulfill the entity’s wish to protect him and save him from his death. The vision will not come true unless I follow the entity’s conditions!”

“So, you mean to say, V’s gonna die,… unless you do something about it? Is that right?”

You almost lost your nerve after building it up with a dream of a perfect home a while ago. “Yes, you could say that.”

“So, that’s why you trained to be strong.”

“Yes.”

“But, that doesn’t explain why you have to work for Dante.”

“Remember what you said earlier about Dante and perfectly understanding it if it was really him in my vision?” You said, taking Nico’s hand and squeezing it again. “Well, I thought so, too, believe me. But, I was wrong. The vision is a man who _**looked**_ like him, but not **_him_**!”

“You - ” Nico began, then stopped, processing everything she just heard from you. “How could the man in your vision look like Dante and not V? How could it NOT be Dante and how could it BE V? Honey, that’s so confusing! Unless, he’s hiding a twin brother somewhere, which V clearly is not,…”

“Yes, I know that.” For the second time, you squeezed Nico’s hand way too hard for the woman to take.

“Ouch!” Nico shrieked, once again withdrawing her hand and keeping it firmly close to her.

“Sorry. It’s just that - I felt a connection to Dante and to the man in the vision. Like, something very powerful was linking the two. And now that I’ve seen this V person, I became certain of it. He also holds a deep connection to Dante.” You went closer to Nico, your hands on the sofa. “The decision I made about working in the Devil May Cry was not far off, actually. And I’ am glad for that,” you took something from your pocket and showed the same black envelope containing the details of the event for the coming Saturday. “… and for this.”

“Whatever you say, honey.” Nico said, but before she could even stand, you two both heard noises coming from outside the unit. “They’re back already? Hey!”

Nico called after you, but you were too fast. You were already outside the door to your room, carrying the large, white box, and smiling at her.

“Good night!” You gleefully mouthed, opening the room, entering it, and finally retiring for the night.

And at the same time Nico heard the lock to your door click, Nero opened the front door and let V and himself in.

Right then and there, V was very positive - he knew you’ve been there, the one who almost “_chopped him like onions_”, as per Griffon, and the one who yelped behind the window. In fact, he could sense your presence all over the place, especially behind that one particular door. After all, he could still smell you. What was that again? Oh. **_Fresh flowers blooming in the morning_**.

“Hey, this box is almost empty!” Nero said, mystified as to how an unopened box of pizza got almost ravaged by a lone woman during his absence of only thirty minutes.

But, V perfectly knew that Nico was not the only one who ate. And it was totally confirmed by the woman, herself.

“Well, sorry about that. (Y/N) was really hungry.” She admitted.

“You mean the owner of this unit?” Nero asked, opening the third box and dedicating to finish it himself. “Where is she, anyway? Why won’t she show herself? She got fangs, bumps, or something?”

“My thoughts,… exactly.” V added, letting Griffon and Shadow out with a simple smile that could actually be considered as sinister. Someone wants to play hide and seek with him, so he would play the game, as well, and with much _**enthusiasm**_.

Nico laughed at what Nero said. “She doesn’t have fangs, but she does have a bump or two, _you know what I’m sayin’_. She’s probably asleep by now. Don’t mind her.” Nico answered. “She’s just tired as hell. You’ll see her in the morning.”

And, so he must. For if you don’t show yourself by then, heaven and hell help V, but he would definitely find a way to **_meet_** you and go after you, just like what Griffon initially suggested. In a space of thirty minutes while he and Nero were away in search of formal clothing, he may have found out one of the reasons the Yamato brought him closer to you. And if you avoid him once more, he would have no choice but to spam the Yamato on you if he must as a last resort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Nico  
V  
Nero


	7. A Memorable Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ V, Nero,and Nico finally don their formal wear for the most memorable evening yet!
> 
> Guess who shows up next!

“_She’s just tired as hell. You’ll see her in the morning._”

At least, that’s what Nico said.

But then, V should’ve known better.

The next morning, the girl left a note on the glass top table, saying something about going to a friend’s and staying there until Saturday. Somehow, the chit got past him without making any noise to wake any of them ( that’s him, Nero, Griffon, and Shadow ) up, who all snoozed on the living room in sleeping cots provided by Nico, who spent the rest of the night on the guest room. V, being the most alert among all of them inside the unit, didn’t hear her footsteps, even the creak of the door. What’s more, Nico found out that the formal wear she provided for her was also gone.

Which meant that, to V’s frustration, they will not be able to see her until the event, itself, which would take place the next day.

And so, the day finally arrived.

Nero was struggling with the lacy jabot on his neck, grimacing at it, and how he looked as a whole, in the mirror every once in a while.

And to add further insult to the injury, Griffon, who was flapping his wings non stop above his head, was laughing at him really hard.

The young and dashing Devil Hunter, who recently became famous for defeating the infamous Demon King Urizen, who almost plunged Red Grave with Qliphoth roots, let out a loud curse and threw the jabot on the floor.

Nico, who just finished putting on her dress and makeup on the guest room, heard this and came out, curious as to the source of that very colorful language.

And when she finally saw what Nero looked like, she could not help but double over in stomach pain as she failed to suppress her laughter.

“FUCK!” Nero cursed, angry at the tattooed woman who was still laughing her ass off at his appearance. “You think this is funny?!”

“What the hell are you wearin’?!” Nico burst out through her uncontrolled fits of laughter.

“I bet it’s his grandma’s dress!” Insulted Griffon, which only made Nico laugh even more, and Nero angrier.

“SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU FUCKING BIRD!”

“W-w-wait, don’t tell me your granny wore that to snag herself a boyfriend in the eighteenth century?!” Nico added.

“I swear if you don’t stop - ” Nero warned, then clicked his tongue, unable to stop the woman and the bird from laughing. It’s true. With the heavy, lace coat of powder blue and purple ensemble, the equally lacy white undershirt, the pair of black breeches, the white knee - high socks, and the high - heeled pair of dancing shoes, Nero absolutely looked like a bratty, noble kid who came directly from the French Revolution era, or earlier.

“What? You’ll hit me?” Nico taunted, pointing at Nero with a finger, flaunting her carefully manicured nail.

Griffon picked the jabot from the floor, graciously, if not mockingly, giving it back to Nero. “Here, you forgot this, Your High Nobleness.”

Nero snatched the jabot from Griffon’s talon, almost damaging it, and said, “Just to inform you, Credo owned this, not me!”

“Kyrie’s older brother, huh?” Nico asked.

“Yes, him!” Nero answered, almost wrongfully getting mad at someone who was innocently and peacefully resting six feet under the grounds of Fortuna. “And, I’m not wearing this FUCKING thing!” he announced through gritted teeth, starting to remove the offensive - smelling coat. Apparently, Kyrie found it proper to drench the thing with an awful amount of floral fabric conditioner, making Nero reek of fresh flowers.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!” Nico held her hands up, stopping Nero’s movements. “I’m telling Kyrie if you do that! You’ll make her cry, man!”

“No! Don’t you dare tell her.”

“Stop being a bitch! It isn’t that,…” Nico said, failing in her attempt to lie at him with her mirthful eyes. “… _bad_.”

“Ha! You think I look bad? Just wait for V!” Nero mocked, hands on his hips like the “nobleman” that he was. “He crammed yesterday looking for one, since he didn’t find any last Thursday.”

“Ya think?” Griffon maliciously asked, his eyes devilishly looking down at Nero’s pitiful and funny form. He flew towards the bathroom and shouted, “Hey, Shakespeare, you done now, or what? The pimple kid is mocking you! Come out already!”

“You’ll see.” Nero mouthed at Nico with a sinister smile, so sure that V would look even worse than him.

_ **Oh, how very wrong he was.** _

When V finally came out, Nico’s mouth dropped open in shameless admiration, and Griffon beamed with pride for his boy. Shadow, who was patiently waiting for V to come out, stretched her forelegs, yawned, baring her fangs at Nero, and went to her master with a proud swish of her tail. She was getting tired looking at the boy for an hour, and the sight of V changed into his formal wear was a real fresh change.

Nero, in an infernal kind of frustration, took off his coat and flung it to the other end of the room, knocking off one of the painted vases, making it plummet to the ground and break into tiny little pieces.

“Hey, psycho!” Nico shrieked at him. “Watch the furniture!”

“FUCK!”

***

The massive ballroom that held about a hundred people was, indeed, the topic of every male and female guests. The three crystal chandeliers that shone illuminated the pleasant below. The black - clad musicians mainly played jazz, and would sometimes add in classical numbers for the dances like the foxtrot and the waltz. The food was great, courtesy of the best chefs in the city, and the rich vintage, matched by the sparkling ones for the ladies, that was being offered by the maroon - liveried servants, never warmed, always cool and ready for some hot - headed guests.

The head of the house, who sat at the tallest box with some servants at his tow, watched in admiration for his feat of bringing together the country’s most powerful Demon Hunters. He chuckled at the sight of the two most powerful ladies in the room, lively chatting with some noobs. He grunted at the sight of that lone man who was pestering the servants with more wine. But, most of all, he was getting anxious, for his most awaited guest have yet to arrive -

“Sire,” a servant whispered to his ear. “Nero of the Devil May Cry Agency has finally arrived with his, ah, _entourage_.”

The lord of the house rubbed his hands. “Perfect. Kindly inform the musicians to sound in their classics. I want to make this dramatic.”

“Naturally.” the servant nodded and left at once.

But, Nero and company was not aware of this, and the importance the lord actually held for him. So, when he descended the stairs, fancy coat, lacy jabot, sleek hair, and all, he could not help but miss a few steps at the sudden change of music, almost stumbling down if it weren’t for Nico who helped him by holding unto his arm as tight as she could to prevent him from falling to the carpeted ground.

“Get a grip, man!” Nico, who began sweating, whispered savagely at him. “Hold it together.”

“How could I - ?!” Nero whispered back. “They didn’t have to change the goddamn music!”

Nero was right. Now that the rest of the Demon Hunters in the room noticed his fanciness, and the matching harpsichordy - classical music, they couldn’t help but giggle at his grand entrance.

“Stomach in, chest out.” V, who was descending beside him, whispered to him in that velvety - low voice of his, subtly slamming the tip of his cane on Nero’s back. “Chin,… up and proud.”

Nero, who was honestly mad at V for wearing a less fancy formal attire and seriously thinking that he was just being mocked by the man, retorted angrily. “Stop embarrassing the hell outta me!” he gritted.

V gave him a sideways glance, jade eyes dangerously narrow and wicked grin deathly threatening. “I’m teaching you how _**not**_ to embarrass yourself even further with that,… _attitude_ of yours.” he warned. “Now, if you do not want to stumble all the way down and sully the name of your great father, and his even greater father before him, I suggest you _follow_,…” then, as if by one last ounce of threat, V pushed the tip of his cane harder unto Nero’s back, hurting him and making him stand up straight in the process as a gentleman should. “… my unsolicited and valuable pieces of instruction.”

“Damn you, V - ” angrily whispered Nero, gaining him a painful pinch from Nico, who was still holding unto his right arm. “Ouch!”

“Do as the man says or I’ll hurt you!”

And so, with so much struggle, Nero finally made it down the stairs, surviving Nico’s vice grip and V’s cold stare. And once he was down, the younger, less experienced Demon Hunters, who came there before them, started bugging him with questions regarding the Demon King he recently defeated.

V, having isolated himself from the crowd that started to form near Nero and Nico, breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned on the wall, watching them from a safe distance, when the classical music came to a halt.

If it weren’t for the boy’s _lovely_ attitude, V would’ve enjoyed the evening. It was a fine event, after all, not considering the danger they would possibly get into later.

Some refined Demon Hunters, who actually bothered to listen to the otherwise boring music, clapped their hands, giving the artists enough motivation to start a new one. The leader signaled for a change of genre and a turn of a page, and when the musicians started playing once more, the room was filled with the most beautiful bossa nova that V has ever heard. These men really do have talent, he admitted.

And as if by some magical and wild form of chance, a very familiar scent made its way towards his nostrils.

_ **Flowers. Freshly blooming in the morning.** _

He looked up at the staircase,…

… and became wide - eyed at the spectacle that was unfolding right before him.

For there, clad in something that only rivalled the stars above, was the most beautiful female he has ever seen in his entire, miserable, demonic and non - demonic existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Nero  
Griffon  
Shadow  
Nico  
V  
You ( Reader )


	8. The Unexpected Occurrence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ V finally meets you!
> 
> Guess who else you two meet!

_“You can do this, (Y/N). Just remember what I said and you’ll be fine.”_

Patty’s words rang into your head as you descended the staircase. It’s not like you don’t want to stay with the others, no.

It’s just that - let’s face it: you may be taught how to dance and have a perfect posture but, no one ever taught you how to conduct yourself in an event like this. You were totally clueless. And so as not to embarrass yourself, you woke up earlier than the others that Friday morning, went to a friend’s house, and sought her advice regarding events such as this.

Yes, Patty Lowell may be jealous of you for a while for being hired as Dante’s assistant but, that all changed with a little bit of explanation and a lot of girl - bonding moments with her, that was, after your missions with the Devil Hunter or during your off days. The girl may only be seventeen, turning a year older two weeks from now, but she sure knew her stuff, being a girl who always got invited to parties.

And so, you decided to trust her for this.

And, as you scanned the area, making sure that no one’s paying attention, you took some steps forward, careful not to stumble on your stilettoes.

Your head held high, your posture as perfect as it can be, you were prepared for the challenge ahead. Everything will go according to your plan. The entity didn’t show you anything bad that might happen, what could go wrong?

You suddenly felt eyes directed towards your being, making the hairs on your nape stand. Your (E/C) eyes widened a bit. You looked down to your left and saw, leaning on one of the walls, the man who almost landed on top of you that Thursday afternoon. The man with the markings on his skin.

The man in your visions.

It was none other than V, himself. And boy, did he take your breath away. First time you saw him, he was wearing a long black leather vest, a pair of dark cargo pants, and, well, a very unflattering pair of _sandals_.

But, now,…

As soon as he noticed that you finally turned to look at him, V’s eyes slightly widened, then returned to normal. He noticed the same reaction on you, as if you were definitely expecting him to be there. He saw how you looked at him, like his presence awed you, and it honestly made him flattered, especially when he saw you blush a little bit, then looked away.

_Ah, and so the girl finally gave up her game of hide and seek!_ V thought.

How could you not blush? Here was the man who had been plaguing you with both romantic and erotic visions for ten years straight. Yes, he may look a bit different in them but, that definitely was him, no doubt about it.

And, oh, what a wonderful time to be plagued by those sinful thoughts! Your plan was already falling apart! You were slowly losing focus.

When you looked back at him, you saw that he was still looking at you. He was even smiling at you as he made his way towards you, head slightly tilted to the side in amusement.

_This is it!_ You thought as you prepared to meet him. _There’s no going back -_

“Hey, beautiful!”

“_**Dante?!**_”

Somehow, you failed to notice, even with your ability to see into the future, the Devil Hunter who made his way towards you without you noticing due to your mind’s preoccupation with thoughts of V.

You were quickly swept to your feet as the tall and devilishly handsome Dante, who looked even more devilishly handsome with his black formal wear and white shirt that exposed his broad and muscular chest, held your tiny waist with both hands and effortlessly brought you closer to him. So dangerously close, that there’s actually no space left between the two of you, at all.

Griffon materialized and went directly to V’s waiting left arm, sensing his master’s uneasiness due to the sudden turn of events.

“It’s Dante!” Griffon whispered to V. “Who knew that chit had an interesting relationship with him?”

V’s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as he saw Dante flirt with you. “Looks like I’m going to get my hands full as of the moment.”

“What are we gonna do?”

He smiled confidently, as if he knew from the start that he’s going to win against Dante. “I will,… think of something.”

“You smell nice, as always.” Dante whispered, his lips close to your ear, making you shiver. “Like an excellent vintage.”

“Thanks but,” you answered, getting creeped out by the Devil Hunter’s behavior. You placed your hands against his chest to put some decent space between you. “… I thought you don’t want to see me?”

But, your actions only fueled Dante’s motivation to crush you against him even further. “Nah, that was three weeks ago!” He answered, his boyish smile both endearing and frightening.

Finally, you realized: he smelled of booze. He was intoxicated! But, a half Demon like him should have a high tolerance to things such as liquor. Which meant,…

_How long has he been like this?! Was it since - ?_

“Okay, Dante, you’re drunk, and you need to take a rest - ” you quickly spoke, getting more and more nervous as he got even more _interested_ in your scent, actually burying his face to the most sensitive part of your neck and sniffing you, not caring in the least to the people around you.

“Who? Me? Drunk?” Dante said in a louder voice, then laughed, his hands now exploring your back, sending mixed sensations of both fear and heat all throughout your small body. “Not in the slightest!”

All of a sudden, you saw how Dante’s eyes turn from icy blue to blood red without so much as a hint.

You gasped in utter fright: he was losing his mind over you, and you’re afraid that he might take you forcefully if you don’t do anything to divert his attention.

_How come nobody’s seeing this?!_ You thought as you looked around and noticed that the guests were busy doing their own business. And Nico and Kyrie’s boyfriend? Well, they’re both busy arguing with each other on the other side of the room!

“Now, don’t be scared. Nobody’s gonna see us.” Dante literally growled. His voice was also changing very rapidly. “How about we go somewhere else and - ?”

_Somebody, anyone,_ you thought helplessly. _Help!_

As if by a miracle, the head of a metal cane landed forcefully on Dante’s right shoulder, enough to stop him from disgracing you even further. You both looked behind him and saw none other than V, himself, whose eyes were steadily trained on a hard - bound book, his right hand gripping the cane as tight as he could.

** _“While the lily white shall in love delight, nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.”_ **

V quoted, not taking his eyes off the book. And when he finally looked up, putting the book away, he gave Dante a threatening kind of smirk. “It has been quite a while, Dante.”

“V?” Dante muttered, slightly losing his grip on you. “What are you - ?”

“Now, a little bird has whispered,… something,… intriguing,… to me.” the tattooed man playfully said, not letting Dante finish. “I’ve heard you are fond of riddles as I’ am, no?”

“What are you even - ?!”

Dante’s eyes were returning to normal, and his voice was reverting back to how it should be. And, what’s more, he unknowingly let go of you.

You felt something tug at your shoulder. You turned and saw Griffon flying at the level of your eye.

“This way, sweet pea.” the bird whispered to you, gesturing for you to follow him.

V smiled as he noticed you and the demonic bird going to the other side of the room, unnoticed by Dante. He went on with his facade.

“Now, there is a mirror in the middle of the room and three people who are looking at it: a warrior, a prince, and a bard.” V said, smirking as he made his own riddle on the go just to distract Dante. “So, the question is: what do you think this _Wrath of the Gods_ is?”

Dante just stared at V, mouth agape and eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment.

“I don’t even know what kind of riddle you’re blabbering about.” Dante said to him. “Who are you, my brother?”

V chuckled good - naturedly. Somehow, through his brother’s drunken state of mind, Dante still managed to see through him.

_Oh, how on point he was with what he just said,…_

V grasped his cane with both hands and nodded. Obviously, his brother has entirely forgotten all about the invitation and the riddle it brought. “My apologies.” he said, turning away while playfully twirling his cane before tapping it on the ground. “I will let you be.”

Just like that, V has won against Dante. He didn’t even realize that you weren’t there beside him anymore.

And now, to look for his quarry,…

He found you there behind a pillar on the right side of the room listening to Griffon’s quips. He made his way there as quietly as he could and stopped just behind you.

“It’s alright, he’s confused beyond his own wits.” You heard V softly whisper on your ear, sending shivers down your back to the pit of your stomach.

You turned and looked up at him, trying to suppress your tears at what just happened, and fought the urge to hug him. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

He smiled at you, but this time, it held none of the threat he showed to Dante earlier. It was gentle and comforting.

“Come with me.” He requested, gesturing towards the refreshments table with a little tilt of his head.

And so, you followed him. You really wanted to convey your gratitude towards him for saving you earlier, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say the words. His very presence seemed to overwhelm you but, not in an awful way. You knew he had total control over you right then, you just didn’t know how or when it exactly happened.

And, as if to add more to your confusion and conflicting emotions towards the man, you noticed how his crisp, jet black tail coat hugged his slender torso. His equally dark pair of fitted pants also did a good job of emphasizing his height, about six feet and a few inches. The way he walked while holding his cane on his right hand was, indeed, very hypnotic, that your eyes were drawn to his every movement.

Yes, you may find Dante attractive before his drunken fiasco earlier but, it was nothing compared to how you thought and felt of V now.

And you simply blushed at the initial thought of it.

V looked behind him to check if you were still following him. And when he noticed the flush on your cheeks and how you look up at him, your long and heavy lashes making your eyes look endearingly languid, he had enough reason to look at your well - defined curves, the graceful movement of your hips that was further emphasized by your fitting white dress, and that lovely way your generous chest rise and fall with each breath you take. He had to look away for a while to not get himself _excited_ over you. He was no teenager, and he must not conduct himself as one in front of you.

He stopped in front of the table, picked a glass of water, and offered it to you.

You shook your head. “I’m good, thanks.” You smiled at him.

“Are you sure? You do look like you need it.”

“I’m sure.”

“Then, how about,… ” V put the glass of water down and took a glass of champagne. “ … something a bit stronger?” his voice sounded really playful.

You shook your head once more, not wanting to offend -

“On second thought,… ”

And just like what happened with the pizza box last Thursday, you threw all pretense aside and quickly took the glass of champagne from V’s hand. You gulped the whole thing in one go in front of him, making him smile in amusement. After that, you took a seat in one of the chairs.

V looked down at you, his very person as imposing as hell and as attractive as heaven. But, you don’t care. Your plan of a perfect evening was ruined, thanks to Dante, and you wanted to indulge yourself to forget all about it.

“You want another glass?” V graciously offered.

You nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”

“As you wish, my lady.” V said with a mischievous grin, turning to get another one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Patty Lowell  
You ( Reader )  
V  
Griffon  
Dante


	9. Their First Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Some not so good memories plague your mind as you struggle to face the present.
> 
> On the other hand, V muses whether you are the reason why the Yamato has brought him back to Red Grave,...

_May 17, 07:45 PM_

_The room was dark. As expected, the building was deserted. You’ve already heard from the local news that the Demon King that threatened Red Grave with the Underworld Tree was already defeated._

_So, as instructed by your boss Dante, you went back a day later to finally meet the others, including the supposed client who offered the job. Yes, particularly him. He said that you two might get along._

_But, the room was dark._

_Maybe Dante forgot to pay the electric bills again._

_You placed your pale pink fur coat on the sofa, seeing a familiar silhouette sitting behind the desk._

_You smiled, thinking that maybe he was going to surprise you. How typical of him, considering he just defeated another Demon Lord._

_“Dante, I thought you’re already paid in advance by your client?” You said, walking towards your boss, unaware of everything that took place during the fight. “Where are the others?”_

_The moment you laid a hand on his shoulder, you instantly felt something that sent shivers down your spine._

He’s not like this. Something is wrong,…

_Despite the darkness of the room, you noticed how Dante looked up at you. The usual charm on his facial features was absent, and you saw huge bags under his eyes, like he’s been crying nonstop._

But, that was impossible, right? Dante can’t cry,…

_“What are you doing here?” He said to you in a raspy voice. “You’re not supposed to be here.”_

_You laughed nervously, unable to believe what you just heard from him._

_“You said to go back after the mission.” You answered. “You promised to introduce me to - ”_

_“You don’t belong here.”_

_“What?”_

_You drew back in confusion as he stood up from his chair, towering above your diminutive form._

_As he knocked his chair, you gulped. Hoping it was another one of his tasteless pranks, you laughed, your voice ringing all throughout the hot and dark room._

_“Okay, Dante, I’m not falling for that anymore!” you said, already feeling your confidence leave your body as he closed in on you. “And if you think I will allow you to carry me to the showers with you now, then sorry! Joke’s on you - ”_

_“LEAVE!” Dante shouted at you, his voice unmistakably sounding like his Demon form’s growl. He grabbed your shoulder, hurting you with his powerful grip, and pushed you forcefully away from him, making you stumble and fall to the cold floor._

_As you tried to stand and retaliate, you saw how he completely transformed into his full demonic form. He really meant what he just said._

_“Dante,…” you pleaded, your voice cracking as tears slowly fell. “Why?”_

_His eyes glowed unearthly red, his wings spread wide. He took a few steps forward, his every move creating tremors on the ground beneath you. You made an effort to back away even further until your back touched the door._

_“YOU’RE USELESS! YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!” Dante growled. “GET OUT AND DON’T SHOW YOUR FACE EVER AGAIN!”_

***

Thoughts of that night three weeks ago went back to haunt you as you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your face flushed due to five glasses of champagne, your eyes both looking and feeling heavier, you sighed, for once letting yourself slouch. You convinced yourself that everything would be alright once more between you and Dante.

Well, he looked alright a while ago, right?

You shook your head as you touched your forehead and leaned on the counter. Obviously, he was drowning himself in liquor to get over something. That last mission really took a toll on him, and you knew it was the reason for his misery.

For the last three weeks, you took on small Demon hunting jobs separately from Dante. Of course, some clients were aware that you’re working as a Devil May Cry agent, they just didn’t have any idea what went on between the two of you. Heck, even Morrison was smart enough to not ask, saying that you two were acting like quarrelling lovers, which you definitely weren’t. There was only the quarrelling bit but, there were no lovers involved there, and you both knew it. Dante even stressed it out to you a year ago as one of the conditions for being a Devil May Cry agent and his assistant. That you would only have a professional relationship, and nothing else.

Yes, you were aware of all of these but, why was your heart aching after what just happened? You knew you weren’t falling for him. So, why?

“Okay, I’m coming in!” a female voice said on the other side of the door.

You stood up straight and composed yourself, and as the door opened, you were met with an absolutely gorgeous woman in white who was slightly taller than you.

But, her unique looks weren’t the only thing that captivated you. It was the color of her eyes: the right one green and the left one rust red.

The lady smiled and pointed at you with her silver pouch. “Hey, I know you! You must be Dante’s girlfriend!”

_Uhh, no,…_ “I’m sorry, I’m not - ”

“Haha, of course, not! I know.” The lady went closer towards you and gave you a quick hug. “My name’s Lady, Dante’s girl _friend_. But, _not_ his girlfriend. There’s a difference between that.”

“I know.”

“Anyway,” the lady named Lady opened her pouch and brought out her nude matte lipstick. “I’m not kidding. I do know you. You’re the girl who had been working in the Devil May Cry for a year now, am I right?”

“Yes, but, I’m kind of in a suspension right now.” You admitted, watching Lady as she put on her lipstick.

“Aww, why is that?”

“Long story.”

“Hmm, but you don’t look like you’re in a suspension right now. I mean, the way he groped you earlier!” Lady gave you a mischievous look. “Are you sure you’re not his girlfriend?”

_She saw what happened earlier!_

To this, you just smiled and gave her a simple answer. “I’ll never be his lover.”

Lady nodded. “Okay.” she said as she went closer to you. Her lips close to your ear, she whispered, “I agree. After all, your boyfriend looks like the _possessive_ type. I was knocking at the door for a few seconds when I noticed him waiting for you outside. And he looks a bit worried and upset. You’re not gonna make him wait longer, are you?”

_Of course!_ Due to your own troubles, you almost forgot about V, who promised to wait for you outside!

“Oh, no, V!”

Lady laughed, her voice sounding like chimes in your ears. “Who knew that guy V had a really gorgeous lover?”

“I’m sorry, Lady, I have to go!” you said as you rushed towards the door.

“Good luck, cherry pie!” Lady sang cheerfully, gesturing something with her fingers that you couldn’t understand and didn’t want to know.

When you came out of the powder room, sure enough, there was V, leaning on a wall across the room and reading that hard - bound book he showed Dante earlier. Lying beside his feet was a great black feline who was peacefully taking a nap.

The moment V heard the door open, he was greeted by your sight, captivating than ever before with the help of the wine. Your face was a bit red, emphasizing your cheeks. Your gentle eyes looked heavier, and he realized that you might have drank too much.

He held out his right hand to you, which you took without hesitation. Without taking his deep eyes off you, he brought your hand to his lips, giving it a chaste peck, its softness and fullness giving you a strange kind of satisfaction. You wondered how it would feel on your -

V was a bit startled when you quickly took your hand away from his grasp, your cheeks getting even redder. Was it the way he kissed your hand?

“Forgive me.” V quietly said, his low and seductive voice slowly becoming your undoing. He put his book away, waking the feline and making her stand after having a nice stretch.

“No, no, there’s nothing to forgive.” you said, almost admitting that it was your fault for letting your thoughts drift. “It must be the _heat_ of this place.”

“Would you like to catch some air?”

Taking up V’s offer ( while perfectly knowing that Lady was spying on you two from the powder room ), you went outside with him, your hand on the crook of his right arm. He led you outside to the balcony.

You let go of V’s arm and looked up in awe at the starlit sky above you, perfect for this summer evening. And while you looked at the sky, V looked only at you. You may have tried to murder him that afternoon but, if it’s you, he wouldn’t mind. After all, who would refuse to be put to eternal rest by a very beautiful angel such as yourself?

Griffon materialized once more, looking at the same direction as V.

“Go on, Shakespeare.” the bird whispered. “Ask her for a dance.”

He was still looking at you, drinking in the sight of you and feeling like he was an inexperienced teenager once more.

“I’m not sure.” V honestly answered just as quietly so as not to disturb you as you leaned on the railing. “I haven’t done this for a very long time.”

“That was twenty - five freaking years ago! Ya got this!” Griffon urged. Seeing that V would not budge without motivation, the bird stealthily took his cane and flew as far away as he could. “Haha! Not gonna return this until you ask her!”

You turned, hearing Griffon’s harsh voice, and found V intently staring at you. For a brief moment, you felt at a loss for words. Even the opinionated and well spoken man could not think of anything wise to say for the first time since that day twenty five years ago.

He may have felt affection before in the form of another human woman but, V knew this was different.

And he knew it was more.

_But, what was it?_

All of a sudden, the music stopped. There was a brief silence, and when the violin hit its first note, you both knew what was coming.

V summoned what little courage he had and went towards you, the absence of his cane on his right hand not unnerving him in the least for once. You waited for him until he was mere inches away from you. And when he was finally looking down at you, his eyes suspiciously getting a bit darker, he spoke.

“You were asking how to thank me for earlier.” It was not a question, and you knew it.

You nodded, not taking your eyes off him. “Yes, I was.”

V held out his left hand, praying that his dancing knowledge was enough for this. “May I have the honor of this dance, my lady?”

You giggled. He sounded exactly like the Prince in Patty’s dime novels. And, as the Princess would answer, you said, “It would be such an honor, my lord.” You took his hand and smiled, the wine in your system actually making you feel giddy.

V chuckled, knowing your reference. Slowly and with great care, V raised your hands and placed his right one around your waist, pulling you closer towards him. As gently as he could, he led you to the first ever waltz you’ve danced.

Your eyes never parting for even a second, you moved, slowly, at first. Your alluring scent made it almost impossible for him to concentrate but, he wanted it to be as perfect as he could.

You had no idea if it was the wine, but you were moving more quickly and with more ease now to the tune of the sweet music. You may have felt a crushing disgrace from Dante’s move earlier but, that, and the sadness you felt, instantly dissipated as you spent this precious moment with V. You knew you barely knew each other but, you could always make up for it afterwards, right?

V was aware of this, as well. In fact, as your bodies moved, he actually considered inviting you somewhere private where you two could overcome that bit of a problem. Maybe forget everything and spend the rest of the night with you in ways he could almost imagine right now as you looked at him.

If this was the Yamato’s will, to be with you for this moment, then, so be it. If this was to be his last day on earth, he wanted to spend it with you, and you alone.

V stopped moving all of a sudden. He was still looking at you, but there was something in them you couldn’t tell. His hands were around you, locking you into his embrace.

_Oh, my God!_ You knew what was going to happen! Patty described this exact moment! And you were right, he was leaning in closer to you!

You closed your eyes, waiting for his lips to cover yours in sweet delight -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Dante  
Morrison  
Lady  
V  
Griffon


	10. The Eccentric Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Meet the Master of the mansion, the one, wealthy client, who commissioned hundreds of Devil Hunters for the most difficult job, yet.

You closed your eyes, waiting for his lips to cover yours in sweet delight -

“Ahem,…” A voice that was magnified by a microphone was heard all of a sudden. It came from inside the mansion. “May we have your attention, please?”

You looked up at V and noticed the disappointment in his eyes. Well, he might have noticed yours, as well. Despite that, he still gave you a smile as he gently took your left hand from his right shoulder, giving it a light kiss that actually lasted for a few, heart - wrenching moments.

He let go of your hand after what seemed like an eternity, letting him receive the cane from Griffon’s waiting talon.

“We must go.” he said, then walked away, giving you no other choice but to follow.

“Thank you!” The announcer spoke, giving way to let the master of the house speak.

As the huge, yet charismatic, man stepped onto the platform, all of the Devil Hunters in the room became silent. They watched as he positioned himself in front of the microphone, waiting for him to finally reveal the mission he had in store for all of them. Some were excited, some not. Some were even suspicious, including Dante, Trish, and Lady, who stood at the far end of the room, safely away from the others. Nero, who prevailed from the long argument against Nico, stood alone on the other end of the room, the heavy, flowery - scented coat hanging on his arm.

It was in this exact moment when V and you finally arrived.

And right there, you immediately noticed the quick change in the atmosphere.

Like something huge was coming.

“My sincerest felicitations to each and everyone of you who answered the call.” the master of the house began his introduction, looking at all of the Devil Hunters gathered into one place. “However, not only that would be said to those who would prevail against the Wrath of The Gods.”

“That shit again?” Nero muttered under his breath, getting uneasy by the mere presence of the man.

“What is fatso spouting out now?” Dante, who sobered down thanks to his female companions, uttered, eyes narrowed and arms crossed. He was leaning against one of the pillars, looking uninterested and clearly annoyed by the turn of events.

“Exactly the reason why we’re here.” Trish answered him.

“And that is?”

“The Wrath of The Gods.” Lady, who was the only one who actually looked excited among the three, said, leaning an elbow against Dante’s shoulder. “Maybe the biggest gig, yet.”

“We’ll see about that.” Trish said, smiling at her rival in a clear invitation of a challenge.

The master of the mansion made a grand gesture by spreading his arms wide, and a short moment later, multiple pieces of paper rained down upon all the guests. At first, they were suspicious but, when some of them picked those papers up, they noticed that they were, indeed, dollar bills. Dollar bills of high value that kept on falling down upon all of them.

At the realization that the master was easily giving them the huge amount of the supposed commission’s pay firsthand, some greedy ones started picking them up, even fighting against each other. Some clever ones remained unmoved by the riches that was raining down on them.

“What in the world?!” Nero muttered as he picked some up, checking if they were authentic. He thought that these things only happen in action movies, so he was understandably and honestly awed by it.

On the other hand, V, who was suspicious of this whole event from the start, didn’t pick one up. His eyes remained fixed on that man on the platform, and you noticed how his eyebrows furrow and his eyes ignite with a strong emotion as he focused on the outrageous scene before him.

“V?” You whispered when you suddenly noticed his trembling hand, like he was getting nervous or frightened or angry or all three at the same time. You took it and gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping it would calm him down. Upon noticing your gesture, he looked down at you and gave you a sincere smile despite his feelings of foreboding, hoping it would reassure you.

Even Dante, whose eyes narrowed even further, left the pillar, flexed his arms and warned the two ladies.

“You two,” he said. “Get your weapons. _Now_.”

“Now?” Lady complained, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Trish placed a hand on Lady’s shoulder, making her look in disdain. “Let’s go.” she said. She, like V and Dante, knew in her bones that something was really off.

“Infinite riches, eternal fame, and unending glory to those who are strong and brave enough to face the Dreadnought that is upon us!” The man on the platform boomed, his voice reaching the far end of the room.

“What is this?!”

“Is this some kind of a joke?!”

“What is that Dreadnought?!”

The man smirked as the Devil Hunters started questioning him like he was some kind of a false prophet. Despite that, he remained rooted to the ground.

“The Demon of the north that lies sleeping for a hundred years has now awoken! It is coming! And in its tow is its army of lesser Demons who, as I speak, walk the earth and reduce everything to ashes!”

“We’ll crush that shit!”

“Yeah!”

“How can we tell if you’re saying the truth?!”

The master heard the question, and as he held his huge palms up in a gesture to make them silent once more, he turned towards the window on his left, making his guests do so, as well.

And before anyone could even notice, V instantly realized that the place, and the whole city, itself, had been awfully quiet since the moment this ruse of a party started.

_Could it mean - ?_

“As we argue amongst each other,” The man said, finally making everyone silent in nervous anticipation. “The authorities have already begun the Dreadnought operation, evacuating not only Red Grave but, all of the neighboring cities, as well, leaving only us behind. You can take a look if you want to.”

“V!” Griffon flew towards you and his master, hysterically flapping his wings like something wrong was definitely happening. “It’s exodus shit out there! They’re all leaving!”

“Are you sure?” you asked, still unable to believe the gravity of the situation you’re about to enter.

“Do I look like I’m lying?!” Griffon shrieked at your face as some guests started flocking towards the window to see the massive evacuation that was currently happening outside below the city. “Come on! What are we waiting for?! Let’s get the hell outta here! We’re all gonna die!”

“Who will prevail against the Wrath of The Gods?! Who will prevail against the Dreadnought?!” The man, who remained unfazed by all the potential danger he’s been spouting, spoke, addressing all of the Devil Hunters he invited for the massive job. “This the end! Apocalypse is upon us!”

All of a sudden, the electricity went out, earning some gasps from the people inside.

And still, the man went on talking in all his eccentric glory.

“Will you run? Or will you hide?” he whispered, his voice ringing creepily around the deathly silent place.

Then, it happened faster than anyone could imagine. The ceiling caved in, destroying the crystal chandelier and making it fall to the marble floor in the process, missing some Devil Hunters, who dove just in time, by mere inches.

However, the chandelier was not the only thing that came down from the ceiling. Everyone nervously looked as an unknown black mass sat on the broken pieces of glass. It trembled a bit, and when it suddenly grew, forming into one tall creature of about seven feet, its sharp eyes glowed green, making almost everyone draw back in fear. Long spikes sprout out of its forearms and down its spine as its sharp - looking fur glowed unearthly green. It raised a spiked arm, drawing it like a weapon, and when its claws reached the ground, it suddenly split into four, six, eight,… twelve creatures of the same kind, disappearing into the room and leaving only green traces of blur in midair.

“Shit!” Nero cursed as he reached for his weapon -

Only to find nothing there!

“Furies!” Griffon shrieked as the whole room went into an instant panic.

“They’re not Furies.” V answered as calmly as he could, drawing his cane and summoning Shadow.

“Then, what are those things?!” the bird panicked as one creature grazed his left wing before disappearing in a blur once more, leaving a few of his blue black feathers suspended in the air until they fell on the ground. “SHIT! V, WHAT DO WE DO?!”

“We fight.” V said as he waved his cane, making Shadow deflect an incoming attack by morphing into a set of dark spears that also wounded another creature. He looked at his right,…

… and realized that you were gone!

_Where did the girl go?!_ V thought nervously as he glanced all over the whole chaos looking for you while commanding Shadow and Griffon to attack with all their might.

And right there on the floor, he noticed something,…

… a large piece of the white gown you were wearing, slashed into tiny pieces,…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
V  
Griffon  
Dante  
Trish  
Nero
> 
> O/C:
> 
> The Master Of The Mansion


	11. Battle And Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Fury - The Breakneck Predator, a lesser Demon of the Underworld. The Fury's species have mutated over time to achieve greater speed to hunt down prey, many generations have passed in order to reach the level of the Fury.
> 
> However, this particular species of Fury not only attacks with a teleporting pattern and killer speed, it also has a strange mutation that is never before seen by any Devil Hunter, both alive and dead!
> 
> And amidst the battle for their lives, a war with their emotions has already begun, tearing them apart and making their defenses weaker and more vulnerable.

As the massive evacuation of the city ensued, all of the Devil Hunters inside the mansion, both the brave and the meek, and the strong and the weak, faced the Demons that suddenly materialized and spread out like the plague with all the intention to murder all of them.

But, mighty Devil Hunters they may be called, the first, and unexpected, challenge of the Dreadnaught proved to be far too difficult for the most of them to handle.

Especially for those who came unprepared and weaponless.

“Shit!” Nero cursed as he stealthily dodged the attack of one of the strange Fury - like creatures who came too close to him. He fired a single blast of light from his Breaker as he landed on the ground after his jump, and it luckily hit one Demon in the face, making it motionless for a while, giving the young man ample time to escape.

And as the Demon regained consciousness, Nero made a full run towards V, who was stuck in one place of the ballroom trying to dodge the multiple green slashes directed at him. The massive black cat by the name of Shadow made a seven - foot spiked wall at her master’s command, effectively deflecting an incoming attack and at the same time, protecting Nero from another as he arrived.

“Where is your weapon?” V questioned in a harsh tone, his tone betraying his emotions of both dismay and worry to the young Devil Hunter.

“I left it at the van.” Nero shamefully admitted as he was protected yet again by the demonic feline as it turned into a volley of spikes that merely grazed one monster.

“Perfect timing!” Griffon sarcastically screeched as he let out a few strikes of electricity that didn’t even hit a single monster.

“What are these Demons? I haven’t seen them before!” Nero said as he fired another blast of light that finally broke his one and only weapon. “Shit!” he cursed as the pieces of his Breaker fell down on the marble floor.

V, on the other hand, had more things to worry about other than his or Nero’s predicament. You suddenly vanished without him noticing, and he was deathly afraid that the monsters have already,…

“SCREW ALL THIS!” Griffon boomed as he flew higher above them, soaring and soaring until he reached the ceiling, or what’s left of it.

“Don’t do it,…” V warned as he looked up at his avian familiar but, he was too late. The demonic bird let out a guttural sound as he spread his wings, releasing multiple strikes of electricity that landed on the floor and hit all of the Demons, including some unfortunate Devil Hunters who had not dodged in time. The bird went on releasing power from his midnight blue wings, rendering the monsters motionless until they fell on the ground, smoke coming out from their body.

The Hunters, upon realizing what just happened, remained scattered and vigilant, as if expecting something else to attack them.

Griffon, who was blissfully unaware of what was to come, bashfully flew down towards his master.

“Should’ve done that earlier, eh, V?” gloated the bird.

To his shock, V glared at him, his eyes emitting a deathly aura. “What have you done?!” he said in a low tone that honestly creeped the hell out of Nero, who was clueless of everything.

All of a sudden, the monsters, who were still smoking on the ground due to the electricity, slowly rose, scales glowing once more and spikes growing longer than their normal size. Their eyes simultaneously glowed, brighter than ever before. And before they could even do anything, the veins in their body glowed a sickly, bright green, pumping beneath their thick scales. The veins glowed and glowed, until a surge of electricity ran through them to each end of their limbs, giving them more power than ever before.

“What now?!” Nero blurted out as the monsters started dashing once again but, this time, they didn’t just leave green traces of blur, they also crushed the floor beneath them. And, what’s even more frightening, the creatures became faster, enabling them to land direct slashes on the younger and weaker Devil Hunters’ bodies until they fall on the ground, either murdered,… or dead.

“These creatures absorb electricity! It becomes,… their power!” V screamed as he commanded Shadow to create another spiked shield that walled him and Nero in and Griffon to continuously send strong currents to the morphed feline to make it even more powerful. “I would not last,… much longer!” V gasped as he almost fell to the ground. He leaned in on his cane and let Nero support his back and shoulder.

“V, hang in there!” Nero said as he helplessly watched the summoner struggle to remain standing. He was exuding too much demonic power to support Shadow and Griffon’s defenses that it was taking a toll on his already vulnerable frame. The Yamato almost drained his energy the other day, and he was yet to recover from it, that even summoning the golem for a short while would prove useless.

“(Y/N),…” V uttered, his voice breaking, his sight becoming blurry. “Where,… are y-you?!”

Then, as if by some wild turn of events, everything went silent. The creatures still moved about, slashing anyone in their way but, they didn’t prevail from what swiftly came down on them.

Through V’s faltering visions, he saw a strange form of light crawl on the ground. It was immediately followed by a translucent wave of light that effectively stopped the creatures on their tracks. Another wave of that light made them scream with such unearthly voices, covering their ears as if to shield them from something very deafening that the human ears couldn’t even hear. One creature stumbled just beside V and Nero, still struggling to cover its ears. It saw the horrified look on Nero’s face as it squirmed and made one last effort to attack them, going for the kill,…

All of a sudden, all of them heard a familiar sound, followed immediately by the sight of the walls breaking as an angry, white hunk of a vehicle made its way towards the interior, hitting creatures on the way and splattering Demon guts all over the place in the process.

However, the creature remained unfazed. It raised its spiked arm and,…

V’s sight might be going blurry, but the thing that flew towards the monster in an unbelievable speed surely helped him regain all the senses he had lost and more. He saw, with his wide, green eyes, a silver stiletto with the longest heel he had ever seen hit the back of the monster’s head, making its eyes white. It fell on the ground, knocked out at his feet.

And, as V caught the small stiletto on his free hand, he saw the most beautiful thing come out of the van, carrying what looked like the Red Queen.

“NERO!” V heard you scream as you threw the sword at the youth. Nero jumped and caught it in midair, bringing the sword down on the creature’s head and killing it in one slash.

And as the vehicle came to a halt, V saw as you practically jumped out of it, meeting one confused and now deaf monster. While still in midair, you kicked the Demon’s jaw with your stiletto - lacking foot, unknowingly showing your smooth and flawless leg in the process. With one hand, you removed the remaining shoe and quickly dug the heel deep into the Demon’s forehead, squirting its blood and ruining your immaculate white dress. It fell on the ground, dead.

Nico’s head popped out of the window. “Make it fast while they’re deaf!”

The remaining Devil Hunters in the room, together with Nero, took this as a cue and attacked all at once, finishing the creatures one by one.

V was about to collapse on the ground when he felt a pair of soft hands support him. He turned and saw you, and your worried look.

“You’re gonna be fine, V.” you said as you turned away from him to face one creature who just regained its hearing. “I’ll protect you. _I_ _promise_.”

V watched in horror as the creature ran towards you while you remained still on the ground. He saw how you were about to lift your skirt, about to pick something that was strapped on your thigh, when some bullets came through the Demon’s head. You both looked and saw Dante as he landed on the Demon, firing at its face with his guns until it was barely noticeable. He smiled at his kill, left it and went directly towards you.

“Sorry, I’m late!” Dante said to you with his charmingly boyish smile. “Now, where were we?”

“Dante, look out!” you screamed as you pointed at the remaining two beasts that made a jump towards Dante’s back, spikes raised and thirsty for bloodshed. He didn’t even turn around as one creature had its head blasted by a single round of a launcher and the other sliced by a massive sword of curious design. As they fell on the ground, the two ladies, Trish and Lady, joined Dante’s side.

“Hey, cherry pie!” Lady greeted cheerfully as she waved at you.

Trish only smiled at you. “Well, we finally meet, at last.” she said to you, an almost unnoticeable and knowing look directed towards you.

V called his familiars back and leaned on his cane for support. Tonight’s battle was finally over, with deaths already taking a toll on the rest of the team. But, then, Dante, Nero, Trish, and Lady were finally here. Surely, nothing could defeat them if they joined forces against the Dreadnought.

Except,…

He turned and saw you looking up at him, your worried eyes innocently wide, the absence of your high heels finally betraying your real height to him, which he found adorable. He didn’t see you fight but, there was something really curious about you that he longed to unveil.

And, that strange power of light that stopped and deafened the enemies,…

Were you responsible for it?

You two were about to meet Nero and Nico when V heard Dante call your name.

You turned around just in time to have yourself lifted off the ground by the legendary Devil Hunter. V saw how Dante hugged you and felt,… something strange in his chest, like a twisting kind of sensation. And he suddenly felt a deep consciousness with how he must’ve looked compared to Dante, like he suddenly became ashamed of his own presence there, especially in front of you.

Of course he knew there was something between you and his younger brother,…

He just couldn’t shake the sudden, unexplainable pain in his chest.

“Are you hurt?” Dante asked you, checking for any signs of injury on your body.

“I’m fine, Dante.” you told him.

“Let’s go.” he said as he took one of your arms and turned, expecting you to follow him. By this time, the others have already left, leaving the Devil May Cry crew, both Red Grave and Fortuna branches, alone inside the ruined mansion. “We’ll go north and meet the Dreadnought there - ”

Dante stopped when you suddenly took your arm away from him. He turned and gave you a smile.

“Babe, come on. I’m no longer drunk,…”

“I’m not coming with you.”

The conversation gained the attention of everyone. Nico, Nero, Lady, and Trish watched as you faced Dante with V, weak and haggard, just behind you, still watching wearily.

Dante laughed at what you just told him, not taking you seriously at all.

“What are you taking about, (Y/N)?” he told you, his voice becoming louder and the atmosphere getting more tense. “You work with me. We work together. There’s no way I’ll leave you here - ”

“I already told you.” you said, trying your very best to reason with the man, that same man who threw you out of Devil May Cry three weeks ago. “I’m not going with you.”

The amusement on Dante’s face vanished as he looked down at you. “Why? Is it because of your deadweight friends?”

“What did you just say - ?!” Nero was about to confront Dante when Nico stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t let it get to ya, Nero!” Nico said to him, trying her very best to stop the young man.

“He called us deadweight!”

“Hmm, this is interesting.” Trish whispered to Lady as she crossed her arms.

“Wait, is that a soap opera I’m seeing right now?” Lady said, sighing as she leaned on her Kalina Ann. “Ah, love rivals. I wish I was a bit younger,…”

“Leave them out of here!” you bravely told Dante. “This is my own decision. Now, if you will, you can leave right away and do the job, yourself.”

However, he would not have any of your excuses. Dante forcefully grabbed your arm and made you look up at him.

“Stop being so stubborn and listen to me.” Dante warned in a voice that practically gave Trish and Lady some shivers. They knew the man was always gracious and gentle around women. Tolerating, even.

So, how come the man was clearly forcing you to bend to his will?

“You don’t belong here! You belong with us! With _me_!”

You remained silent as you stared Dante in the eyes. Then, with utter resolution in your voice, you told him, “We have an agreement.”

“And what is that agreement?!”

“No one would _ever_ belong to _anyone_. You told me that.” You said to him, your voice shaking, yet full of courage. “And that you will let me go when the _time_ comes.”

“What in the - ?”

Dante let you go, confusion and disbelief taking over his senses.

From his spot, V watched the exchange between you and Dante, totally intrigued and curious as to the nature of the said agreement between you and his brother.

When the _time_ comes? What does that even mean?

It was then that Dante’s furious eyes landed on V did he finally have a slight clue of what’s truly going on.

“It is you, huh?” Dante whispered savagely, his voice clearly changing tone, setting both Trish and Lady on the edge. “Who would’ve guessed?! It’s the mysterious man who gave me a _**reason**_ to fight!”

Slowly, red light engulfed Dante’s whole being, revealing his deadly Devil form right in front of you, V, and everybody else.

“Who would’ve guessed,…” Dante growled as he stalked towards V like a monster about to devour his prey. “That you’d be a total jackass for stealing everything away from me?!”

Shouts were heard, weapons were drawn. Dante was coming towards V with murderous intent for whatever reason. But V was too weak to retaliate. He stumbled on the ground, trying to shield his pathetic form with an arm and his cane,…

All of a sudden, a blinding light swiftly came down between them, stopping Dante midway. When V opened his eyes, he found out it was only you. And what’s more, you were actually able to stop the Devil from attacking by simply holding out an arm.

“NO!” You screamed at the man. “YOU’LL KILL ME FIRST BEFORE YOU GET TO THIS MAN!”

Helplessly, Dante reverted back to his human form, saddened by the fact that you’re willing to sacrifice yourself to save V.

The _time_ has, indeed, finally come.

“You would go so far?” Dante asked you in a more gentle tone.

“You know my answer.” You answered, still not putting your arm down.

Dante sighed and huffed as he pulled the lapels of his black jacket. He turned around to face Trish and Lady but, before finally leaving the place, he turned to you once more.

“You’re fired.” Dante told you without so much as revealing a bit of his emotion. Only then, did he turn around to leave the mansion with the two ladies.

***

Meanwhile, in a room where several screens were showing different places of the massive mansion, the master of the house looked with wonder as the same scene unfolded right before his eyes.

His thin attendant bent to look at the screen.

“What is it you found amusing, Master?”

“Only the most amusing thing ever. It seems that the Devil May Cry was split into two.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. And here I was hoping that all of them, united as one, would take down the Dreadnought for me, not those pathetic second rates hiding in the name of Devil Hunter.”

“What do we do now, Master?”

The man smiled as he linked his pudgy fingers.

“We shall see which Devil May Cry would remain standing in the midst of battle. Only then, can I - ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Nero  
V  
Griffon  
Shadow  
You ( Reader )  
Nico  
Dante  
Lady  
Trish
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> The Master  
The Thin Attendant  
Other Commissioned Devil Hunters
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Electric Furies


	12. Naked And Defenseless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ One "naughty" plan from Nico leads you and V to an unexpected mix of different situations.
> 
> ~ Introducing another "mutated" Demon - The Death Scissors!

_You inhaled deeply as you faced the wooden door of the infamous establishment._

_Ten years of searching, of wandering to unknown places away from home, and it had led you to this very moment._

_At long last, you will finally see the man in your visions._

_You opened your (E/C) eyes as you exhaled. Yes, there was no turning back._

_You lifted a hand and opened the door,…_

_“Can’t you read?” The man, who sat behind the desk, lazily drawled. “I’m closed!”_

_You raised an eyebrow, wondering whether you misread the sign. You took a step backwards and took a glance at the aforementioned sign outside._

_Satisfied that you were right, all along, you warily went back inside, trying to ignore the heat and utter darkness of the building. You took a step forward, your eyes getting accustomed to the limited light, and took a good long look at the supposed owner of the Agency, whose feet were on top of the desk._

_“I’m,…” you began uneasily as the man comfortably shifted on his seat. “… looking for someone.”_

_“Sorry, hon.” The man answered uninterestedly, his voice muffled by the magazine covering his face. “Don’t run a lost and found here. If you’re looking for a lost pup, then - ”_

_“I’m not looking for a dog.”_

_The man didn’t answer. Instead, he slowly removed the obscene reading material off his face, put his feet back down on the ground, and faced you._

_Upon seeing his face, your eyes widened in surprise, then went back to normal in utter disappointment. Yes, his hair’s white, he looked tall,…_

_… but, you were positive he wasn’t the man you were looking for all those years._

_“Oh, I’m,…” you stuttered as the man raised an eyebrow._

_“What is a beautiful lady doing here at my place?” The man’s lips slowly went up in a lazy, yet charming, smile as he subtly looked at you from your eyes to your feet, then back again. “Are you lost?”_

_You took a step backwards as the man finally stood up, towering above your vertically - challenged form._

_“I,… ”_

_“Yes, hon?” He asked you, his broad chest already a mere inches away from your face._

_“I’m sorry.” You managed to say before your senses got knocked out. Now, as he looked down at you with amusement, you realized he looked exactly like the man in your visions. But, what you couldn’t understand was the fact that he wasn’t the one you were looking for. “It seems that I went to the wrong place.”_

_The man’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you sure?”_

_“Yes.” You told him as you swiftly drew back and retreated to the door before he could even reach you. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”_

_And with that, you went out as rapidly as you could._

_You sighed, feeling your shoulders slouch for the first time in months. You thought it was hopeless. You just couldn’t find him no matter how much you look._

_But, as you took a single step away from the building, your vision suddenly turned blurry along with your mind. You felt a familiar numbness take over your whole body._

_Right then and there, the entity took over as it showed you a vision so vivid, you thought it was real._

_A few moments after the unexpected trance, you stared into space, mouth wide open, unable to believe that you were actually in the right place._

_You need this man in order for you to get to the man you were actually looking for. You were so damned sure of it._

_The man was about to go back to sleep on his chair when you suddenly burst open the door._

_“On second thought,” you began. “I’m looking for a job,…”_

***

“(Y/N)? Honey? Hey!”

You were instantly brought back to reality upon feeling Nico’s hand on top of your shoulder. Somehow, you’ve been staring at the spot where Dante have been for a few minutes that the others thought you were shocked, or something.

But, how could you be shocked? You’re free. He finally set you free, and that’s what you truly wanted.

So, why would you feel this way towards him?

“Guess we’re going our separate ways.” Nero exclaimed, wiping the Red Rose with a table cloth to rid it of the Demons’ blood. He looked up and saw you looking at him. “Hey, you must be (Y/N), right?”

“Yes.” You said, then nodded, pushing away the thoughts of Dante off your mind. “I’ am. And you must be Kyrie’s lover.”

The young man smiled, went towards you and held out his hand. “Nero, Devil May Cry Fortuna branch.”

As you took his hand, electricity surged from the skin that made contact with his to your every nerve, instantly putting you in an unexpected trance. You knew from that moment that the entity inside you would show you another set of visions.

And you were not wrong, for there, in the deepest recesses of your mind, was the sight of the youth, all bloody and torn, holding out his right hand to you. You saw yourself reach out, then all of a sudden, you’re eyes went wide at the sight of,…

“(Y/N)!” Nico said, waking you up from your trance. You instantly jolted back to the present and found yourself staring at both Nero and Nico.

For a few seconds, you couldn’t utter a word, until Nico pulled you away from Nero.

“Okay, what did you see?” Nico whispered to you, knowing full well where you just have been.

“What?”

“Oh, ya know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!”

“Oh,” you muttered, putting your hand against your forehead. “Nothing special.”

“Really?” The Artisan was understandably skeptical.

“Really.” And you knew you were lying.

From where he sat, V watched the interaction between you three, of Nero holding out his hand to you for a handshake, of you suddenly blanking out, and Nico taking you away, whispering things to you.

Clearly, from the moment he met you in the park, V had every right to become suspicious and curious of you. From the moment you almost sliced him in two to the time you protected him from Dante. He knew you meant every word about you protecting him but,…

… why him?

And, what do you and Dante mean regarding the time?

And, now, it looked as though Nico knew something, as well. And Nero? Oh, well,…

Really, the Yamato was not wrong for bringing him back here. It was clearly because of you. So, what choice did he have but to unravel everything about you, physically, spiritually, and emotionally?

“You can’t come in here!”

V snapped back from his thoughts to reality when he heard Nico’s obnoxious voice. This time, the woman was not letting you inside the van.

“And why is that?” You shot back at the woman who blocked the entrance to the vehicle.

“Just look at you! You’re still dripping!”

Nico was right. You were dripping with the blood of the Demon you skewered.

“That’s why I want to come inside and take a shower!” You argued.

“Not a chance, honey. Can’t let the place be dirtied by Demon shit.”

“Hey, it’s not _shit_!”

“What are they arguing about?” Nero asked V.

V just raised his eyebrows. “_Sensibilities_.”

“You go take a shower somewhere else, not here!” Nico continuously argued.

“What the hell, Nico?!” You screamed, trying to get past your friend, but to no avail. “Come on! There are Demons loose out there! Do you expect me to strip with all those things waiting to murder me?!”

“T-that’s why you’re not going alone!” Nico’s voice stammered at what she suggested.

However, you knew her for years. You knew what she’s cooking up for you, the bitch.

The Artisan disappeared into the vehicle for a while, and when she reappeared, she tossed what she’s carrying to V, who caught it just in time before it landed on the ground. He looked at the thing he just got from the woman, and instantly groaned in his mind.

It was a small, white dress seemingly made completely out of lace. Nothing else.

You saw how V eyed the article of clothing and suddenly felt your heartbeat triple. You turned to look back at Nico, whose eyes looked clearly dancing in delight and mischief.

“You have got to be kidding me,…”

“Oh, do I look like I’m joking, huh, hon?”

“Okay, I’ll go, too. I’ll guard the place, just to make sure.” Nero offered, clearly clueless of what’s going on, the poor boy.

Nico raised her eyebrows at him and gritted her teeth.

“Don’t you have something else to do, huh?” Nico asked the boy.

“Like what?”

_Oh, the dense, little - !_ “Like calling Kyrie! Dude, a nationwide evacuation has just been announced! Aren’t ya gonna talk to her?!”

“Oh, shit!” Nero exclaimed, brushing Nico aside to enter the van, clearly forgetting about the situation.

Which left you and -

“Okay, get a move now, you two. And give me the bow, I need readjustments with that.” Nico requested.

You removed the thing that was strapped to your right thigh and gave it to the Artisan. After that, she slid the door of the van closed. You were sure you saw her wink at you before doing so.

_Oh, that - woman!_

“We must move,…” V said in a low and raspy voice behind you. “… before any of those creatures return.”

You glanced behind you and saw the man looking at you with an unreadable expression, one hand leaning on his metal cane, and the other firmly holding onto the white dress.

You sighed. You knew V was only trying to help, and you also knew that he was only a victim of Nico’s ingenious scheming. There was no reason for you, whatsoever, to get mad at the poor man. You’ll only take a quick shower, he’ll guard the front door, end of story. What could go wrong with that?

And so, about an hour later, you found yourself already regretting your decision to go along with Nico’s suggestion. The residents of the mansion have already evacuated along with the rest of the citizens of Red Grave, so, the two of you naturally assumed that you’re free to use the private bathrooms.

It seemed you were wrong.

V could hear your muffled screams through the door and thought you were in trouble, so he took the initiative of knocking on it to check if you were fine. When you gave him permission, he opened the door and found you still on your filthy gown and staring at the shower head with your arms crossed and your delicate eyebrows furrowed.

To be perfectly honest, V found this frustrated side of you very adorable, especially with that pout of your lips.

But, he could never ignore your dilemma.

“Again?” V asked you. After you nodded, he said, “So, the electricity has really been cut off.”

“It seems like it. Ten private bathrooms, no running water.” you said, then turned to look at him with furious eyes. “I can’t go back there! Nico would never let me in!”

V sighed. He actually already thought of an alternative idea after your fifth bathroom, he just didn’t want to suggest it to you. Or rather, he was shy of suggesting it to you.

But, seeing that you two were left with no other choice, he had no other reason left to hold back his thoughts from you.

“Actually,…” V began, then cleared his throat, finding it so difficult to say the thing to you. “… there is,… another _way_.”

Your eyes lit up in hope. You went towards him with a bright smile. “Okay. What is it, V?”

“There is,…” V nervously said, suddenly feeling the air leave his lungs.

“Yes?” And you looked so eager.

V sighed, unable to go on. “Just,… follow me.” he said, helpless and defeated by his own cowardice in front of you.

And so, after a few more minutes, you found yourselves looking at the most wonderful swimming pool in the middle of the garden just at the back of the mansion. The black marbled pool was surrounded by life - sized statues of Greek Goddesses and there was a small table with a pair of chairs nearby.

Despite the picturesque scenery, you couldn’t help but sink in embarrassment.

V noticed your uneasiness and spoke. “We could not afford to wander outside to look for an actual bathhouse under the current circumstances. But, if you wish to go out and - ”

“This will do.” you said with utter determination. You knew V was a gentleman. There was no way in the world that he’d take a peek at you while you washed. So, you decided to trust his judgment.

“Then, I’ll just put this here.” he said as he put the dress in a table near the pool.

You nodded and started to undress. V noticed this, hastily looked away, and went somewhere far where he would not be tempted to look at you. He decided to take a seat on the stairs that led to the garden pool and took out his book to keep himself busy. At least your problem would be solved.

But, V’s torment was already beginning as he heard the soft sound of clothes being removed and placed on the ground. Heck, he could practically hear the garment as it slid off your smooth skin!

After that, he heard the splash of water, and he made one wrong move to turn around and see,…

… only to find you completely submerged in the water.

He sighed, disappointed and frustrated with himself for being the opposite of what you must have thought of him. He was about to go back to his reading when he saw you surface the water. His eyes widened as your hair splashed in long, silky waves of (H/C). Your back was turned against him, so he only saw your long hair and your bare shoulders, down to your -

V practically gasped as he snapped his attention back to his book. He was looking at William Blake’s illustrations but, he was fully aware in his mind that he wanted to look at you.

And, as if by cue, some of the black ink that adorned his skin vanished as Griffon materialized.

“So, Shakespeare!” the Demonic bird began, his voice all too mischievous to ignore. “I’m pretty sure you’re filthy after that battle..”

“Your point is?” V asked, but he knew what the bird meant.

“Aww, come on! Join the lady.”

V gave him a smirk. “Not a chance.”

“My, my, V! You are the only man I know who would not bend to his own needs. This situation is basically made just for you!”

“I’m sure the lady would not appreciate that,… _suggestion_,… of yours.”

“Pfft!”

Knowing that V would not listen to him, Griffon flew and perched himself on top of a statue of Cassandra, the prophet. He may have failed for convincing V to join you, but he had other plans up his wing.

“Oh, look V!” the bird began. “I didn’t know that girl could swim that good.”

V just smirked, not taking his eyes off the book. But, Griffon knew his master was not reading, at all.

“And how the moonlight shine upon her _wet_ milky, white skin. Truly a sight to behold!”

The poet began laughing in a low voice.

Griffon was not done.

“And those exquisite locks that went down her head like a cape,…”

“What you are doing right now is,… futile.” V answered, but Griffon believed that his master would give in sooner or later.

“Oh, oh! Look, V!” The bird went on. “The girl was getting out of the water! Such graceful features! Such elegant form! Such beauty! Such - ”

“You know that taunt of yours would never work on me.”

“ - _generous_ chest. Look at that!”

V shook his head, unable to believe what Griffon was doing to his already aroused senses. He was waiting for the bird to say another word but, he was silent.

“Ran out of taunts?”

“V.”

“Ran out of things to say, perhaps?”

“V!”

“Or, maybe the cat got your tongue?”

“V! SOMETHING JUST CAME OUT OF THE WATER!”

V chuckled. “And what kind of strategy are you using now?”

“I’M FREAKING SERIOUS HERE, V! THE LADY NEEDS HELP!”

“What in the - ?!”

V looked just in time as a sentient body of water rose up from the pool, imprisoning you in a huge, translucent vortex. He jolted to his feet and instinctively summoned Shadow.

“(Y/N)!” V screamed as he saw a porcelain mask with a pair of sapphires for eyes surface the sentient form of water. The gems lit up and the vortex of water morphed into a monstrous form of about fifteen feet with multiple claws of clear liquid that started going after him and his familiars, destroying everything in its path in the process, including the table and chairs, your dress, and the statues.

But, it didn’t matter to him. He could dodge and deflect those things as easily as eating pie. What he was worried about was you. You were already drowning within the watery grave and you would surely die if he didn’t do anything.

And, most of all, he felt guilty for even suggesting the goddamn pool in the garden in the first place.

“Slice them!” V commanded, making Shadow transform into multiple, sharp, dark whips that, indeed, sliced through the water.

But, it was useless. The monster easily regenerated its limbs with another flash of its sapphires. And what’s more, it became even more hostile as it attacked them. Two of its claws made their way towards V, breaking the black marble floor beneath them. The man barely made it in time as he commanded the feline to slash the claws, temporarily stopping the attack. However, another claw that came out of nowhere landed a direct hit on his stomach, flinging him towards the other side of the garden.

He struggled to get up, glancing at the monster with dangerously narrowed eyes as it regenerated its claws. And through the vortex, he caught a glimpse of you, slowly drowning to death.

“We must get to its weakness.” He whispered savagely, getting to his feet as he leaned on his cane. “And we must be,… swift!”

“How do we do that, V?” Griffon asked as Shadow provided a shield for them. “I can’t do anything! I’ll hurt the girl if I use my power!”

“Yes, you can.” V simply answered.

“Are you going mad?!”

“I,… ” V heaved, determined to end this trauma. “… might be.”

A few seconds later, Griffon dashed towards the monster as Shadow lowered her shield.

“Hey, loser!” The bird spat at the mask. “That all ya got?! Hate to break it to ya, but a mosquito’s bite hurt more than your pathetic claws!”

The sapphires on the porcelain mask lit up once more, sending some claws on Griffon’s way, which he avoided easily.

“Ha! Ya can’t catch me!” Taunted Griffon, leading the claws as far away from the vortex as possible.

And, as Griffon did his job, Shadow ran towards the monster, morphing into spikes along the way and slashing its lower part to reduce its height.

“Easy now, easy now!” Griffon chanted as he flew and twirled in midair, trying to confuse the monster. It did not even get the chance to retaliate as Shadow turned into a huge wheel of spikes that ultimately reduced the half of its height.

The monster was about to use its watery power once more when a cane suddenly materialized right before its gem eyes. Then, all of a sudden, a man materialized in midair, as well. He grabbed the cane and stabbed the center of the mask with its pointy end.

For a moment, it seemed that the monster was going berserk, but when the mask finally split in two with V’s strength, it rapidly disintegrated, leaving you in midair, unconscious.

V managed to catch you before you fell on the ground and quickly took you away as he finally summoned the golem with a snap of his fingers. The dark, monstrous being called Nightmare came down on the ground like a meteor, annihilating everything on its way. As the huge being took form, the monster was still trying to regenerate, but thanks to V, it only formed a pathetic blob on the ground. And before the monster could even take a decent form, Nightmare fired its laser attack at it, causing its watery form to finally disintegrate and die.

A few moments passed. Upon realizing that the monster could no longer return, V called Nightmare back, instantly making his hair revert to black.

“Is she still alive?” Griffon asked, flying above you.

V placed you carefully on the ground, cupped your face, and,…

You were pulled back towards the light of consciousness as you coughed the water out of your system. You felt a strong hand as it gently rubbed your back.

Then, it finally hit you: you were getting out of the water when you were suddenly enclosed in a watery prison that almost killed you. But, here you were, safe and sound!

Which means,…

“(Y/N)?” You heard his voice. And he sounded awfully afraid.

“She’s alive! She’s ALIVE!” came in the sound of the Demonic bird. “Hey, V, where did you learn CPR?”

You rolled on the ground, opened your eyes, and saw him. It took time for your sight to adjust, and when it finally did, you noticed that he looked really worried, but at the same time he was grateful that you were safe.

“V-v,…” Your throat hurt like hell and you only managed to whisper. “What h-happened?”

“Forget about it.” The man answered, his hands still supporting you. “Forgive me.”

“For what?”

You felt V’s hands tense on your bare skin. You also noticed how the man’s green eyes were trying to focus only on your (E/C) ones.

And, suddenly, you realized,…

***

“I think I should go after them, after all.” Nero said as he took a few steps forward, only to be stopped by the freckled woman.

“No need for that!” Nico said to him, her hands still on his shoulders. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“But, it’s almost two hours now! We - ”

Nero stopped talking all of a sudden. Nico noticed him looking intensely at something behind her, and her eyes followed. It was then that she saw you and V, both dripping wet. But, what’s more interesting was the fact that you were wearing V’s coat and you were pulling at it like you don’t want to be exposed.

And you looked furiously embarrassed.

“Honey, what ha - ?!” Nico asked.

You glared at the woman, feeling your cheeks heat up. “Don’t ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Dante  
Nico  
Nero  
V  
Griffon  
Shadow
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Death Scissors ( Mutated to be able to control liquid )


	13. The Suspicious Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ V gets visited by the mysterious Master of the house who partakes with him a very suspicious advice regarding the Dreadnought and how to defeat it.

_At last, you were holding onto the discarded mask of a Death Scissor that you’ve slain as proof that you’re worthy to work as Dante’s partner. The man just could not be convinced, saying that he worked alone and that he had no plans of hiring an assistant._

_But, here you were, determined to the bone to get hired. You really needed Dante. You knew it was very selfish on your part to actually admit it but, you had no other choice._

_And so, with a deep breath, you opened the door and,…_

_… immediately closed it, unable to process what you just saw inside._

_You deeply sighed, feeling your confidence leave your body._

_Yes, you were very proud of your achievement, and you just couldn’t wait to show it to Dante._

_But, it seemed that he had different things in mind._

_You were about to walk away from the building, not once looking back, when the door suddenly burst open. Out came Dante, who clearly looked both embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. He grabbed your right arm and made you look at him._

_“Didn’t your mother teach you how to knock?!” he yelled at you, gaining the attention of the people nearby._

_You drew back, one eyebrow raised. “Sorry.” you sarcastically blurted out. “The sign says you’re open for business!” you took your arm off his grasp and rubbed it. “Didn’t have the slightest idea that you’re open for something else!”_

_“You - ”_

_“Dante, where are you?! We’re not done yet!” came the voice of the woman from within the building, making you cringe._

_“I’m sorry for barging in, sir.” you went on with your sarcasm, still not able to rinse your eyes off the sight that you witnessed earlier. “I’ll just tell Morrison that you were busy and that I covered for you.”_

_“Don’t you dare!” warned Dante in a low voice, trying to avoid the prying eyes of his annoying neighbors._

_You gave him an evil smirk. An idea just sparked inside your head._

_“No, really. It’s okay.” you pressed on with your act. “I’m sure _ **Morrison** _ would understand.”_

_“Dante!” the woman inside the building playfully whined. The man began sweating nervously._

_While it was true that Dante was supposed to be the one who must take on the small Demon - slaying job, it was also true that he declined it, saying that he had better things to do than perform small time requests._

_And while it was also true that you volunteered to cover up for him in exchange for your coveted job, it was definitely a lie that Morrison knew anything about your proposition. You just couldn’t help but tease the man as revenge for unintentionally stealing what’s left of your innocence._

_“I must go now.” you said to Dante, who couldn’t say anything. “I have to talk with Morrison and - ”_

_“Okay, you’re hired.” Dante announced in a heartbeat, making your eyes widen in surprise._

_“Really?” you asked._

_“Yes! Yes! You win!” Dante finally surrendered. “You’ll be my assistant from now on. On one condition.”_

_“And that is?” you asked him, crossing your arms and fearlessly looking up at him._

_“Our relationship would purely be professional. **No one would ever belong to anyone**. Got it?”_

_You chuckled at his proposal. “That’s it?”_

_“And you’ll wash the dishes, clean the building, answer the phone, pay the - ”_

_“I’m your assistant. Naturally, I’ll do those things for you.” you cut him off. “Except pay for the bills. You’re the boss here, Dante. Not me. And you have the money.”_

_“Yes, yes. Of course.” The man nodded in defeat. You smiled and gave him the mask you obtained on your small job._

_“Are we good?” Dante asked, still worried about what you might do or say to the Broker._

_You winked at him and walked away. “Sure.”_

***

_ **“My love must be some kind of blind love.** _

_ **I can’t see anyone but you.”** _

You were staring at the Death Scissor mask - like thing that V placed on top of the table for who knows how long, until someone tapped you on the shoulder.

“Hon, we’re leaving now.” Nico told you, her face looking strangely and uncharacteristically serious.

“Huh?” You mumbled, your head still in the clouds.

_ **“Are the stars out tonight?** _

_ **I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright.** _

_ **I only have eyes for you, dear.”** _

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back in a heartbeat.” She said as she handed Nero his new breaker. She turned to V, who was sitting on the sofa across you. “We leave her to you, man.”

The mysterious one, who changed back to his old clothes of black, leather vest and equally dark pair of cargo pants, nodded, the look on his eyes as serious as ever. “I’ll guard her with my life.”

Nico nodded, fully trusting V to protect you once more. She turned to Nero and gave him the go signal.

And, with that, they’re gone, leaving you alone with V once more.

** _“The moon may be high,_ **

** _But I can’t see a thing in the sky._ **

** _I only have eyes for you._ **

_ **I don’t know if we’re in a garden,** _

_ **Or on a crowded avenue.** _

** _You’re here and so am I._ **

** _Maybe millions of people go by._ **

_ **And they all disappear from view.** _

_ **And I only have eyes for you.”** _

The place was really quiet, save for the sound of the radio, which either played an old song from the seventies, or someone else’s cheesy request. But, most of the time, some announcer with a sleep - inducing voice would announce the current situation regarding the Demonic infestation, the nationwide evacuation, and, of course, the Dreadnought.

You looked to your right as V went closer towards the passenger’s seat to turn up the volume of the radio in curiosity.

“_The nationwide evacuation ensues, this time, with the help of the Devil Hunters commissioned by the head of the Fleminger House of Red Grave._” The male announcer droned on like an old professor reading an age - old historical text in front of an empty classroom. “_With the combined forces of Fleminger’s finest warriors and the nation’s Military, the Demons, which,…_”

V’s eyes widened a bit as he heard a soft thud behind him. He turned around and saw you collapsed on the sofa, asleep. He sighed, turned the volume of the radio to the minimum, and went towards you, utterly careful in his steps so as not to wake you up.

All of a sudden, some of the dark markings on his skin vanished as Shadow materialized. She trotted towards you, her lithe body making little to no noise, and sniffed you, seemingly trying to check if you’re alright. V noticed this very unprecedented action of his familiar, and was actually not surprised that she approved of you with a curt nod towards him and a subtle squint of her eyes.

“Good girl.” V whispered, his voice so low and hoarse that it almost sounded foreign to him.

After much deliberation with his own conflicting thoughts, he took the liberty of taking a seat at the edge of the sofa where you slept and decided to watch you as you dreamed.

In a space of a few moments, he saw you turn, curl your lip, and furrow your eyebrows, which he found really amusing, interesting, and oddly satisfying all at the same time. Your erratic sleeping movements told him that you were, indeed, dreaming, and that your soft voice -

“D - ” V heard you mutter. He leaned in closer towards you to hear what you were saying. “D - d - ”

_D?_ V thought. _Was she dreaming of Dante?_

“D - don’t,… leave,…” He leaned in a bit closer, if that was even possible, that he was already feeling your warm breath against his face. “S - stay, please. Stay w - with me,…

… **_V._**”

His eyes widened, his jaw dropped. V could not quite believe that you just uttered his name! And, what’s even more alarming was the fact that his chest almost brushed against yours. His hands were on either side of your head, and your intoxicating scent sent signals down to his very core.

Signals,…

… **_that were very hard to ignore._**

He looked down at your form, which was only covered by the mere coat that he draped over you to protect your modesty, and felt something stir within his heart.

He knew it was very wrong of him to take advantage of you this way. After all, Nico trusted him to take care of you while she and Nero were away on a little scouting mission outside the mansion.

But, you two were alone. Plus, Griffon was not coming out to make a scene. If he could -

Before his thoughts could further take over his senses to make him totally lose his sanity over you, V pulled away immediately, standing as far away from the sofa, and you, as possible. You deserved his protection, not his lust. How could he call himself a gentleman if he goes like this every time he sets his eyes on you? Or, let alone, inhale your strange, addictive scent?

With a deep, disappointed sigh, he walked away, opening the door of the van and going out to catch some fresh air and calm his senses, leaving Shadow alone with you.

He was about to sit on an abandoned chair near the van to read his book when he felt a pair of sharp eyes directed towards him. He looked up, and there, right outside the smashed window, was the Master of the house, himself. His lips twisted into a strange looking smile as he beckoned for V to come closer.

He turned towards the vehicle. He knew Shadow would protect you should something go wrong once more, and if the situation called for it, he would have no qualms, whatsoever, to summon the golem again.

He looked back towards the vicinity of the smashed window and proceeded there with caution. And when he was finally outside, he found the Master waiting for him at the balcony where he had his very first waltz with you.

“There’s no need for caution.” The Master began. “The Demons would only come out at night. It’s almost dawn.”

“And why should I believe you?” V questioned the man.

The Master gave him that strange, twisted smile once more. “Well, let’s just say that I know things that most of you don’t.”

V forcefully tapped his cane against the ground, fighting the urge to summon Griffon, and tipped his head to the side, having no intention to show any sign of fear or weakness.

“You knew for a fact that the Demon originated from the North.” V spoke, carefully choosing his words in the face of this very untrustworthy man. “It seems that,… you knew **_too much_**,… for your own good.”

“Most of the time, I just pray to the gods to bring back the time when I was still a foolish and naïve boy.”

V watched with wary eyes how the Master of the house situated himself near the railing, leaning on it and crossing his arms. Despite his bulky figure, the man sure moved with flair.

The Master turned his gaze towards the interior of the wrecked ballroom, directing V’s sight.

“Curious thing, this Dreadnought is.” The Master quietly said, his words easily hard to miss should one fail to listen carefully. “Rising from the depths of the Underworld, itself, laying waste to everything it laid its eyes upon, then going back to hibernation for a hundred years. Only to wake up once more to wreak havoc in the present.”

“What is this Demon?” V questioned, walking closer towards the man and blocking his sight from the vicinity of the van at the same time. “And how do we destroy it?”

“My Lord, are you aware of the tragedy of Fortuna?” Getting no response from V, who only looked at him in suspicion, the Master went on. “A Demon laid waste on a house full of orphans, mutilating them, and sparing no one. Now, despite the assumption that nobody survived that onslaught, my ancestor, my grandmother to be exact, actually lived to tell the tale.

"She moved away from Fortuna, starting a different life here in this city, and forgetting the nightmare that occurred in the past. However, the faces of the helpless orphans haunted her until her last day on this world.

"But, today, it seems that her nightmare has awoken.”

“So, it seems.” V said in a sarcastic manner that was missed by the Master.

The man smiled and nodded towards the ballroom once more. “I will give you a valuable advice for defeating the Dreadnought.” Satisfied that he caught V’s attention, he smiled in that twisted way once more and spoke. “You know how some pleasant things send so many different kinds of sensations all throughout the body. I suggest blocking all of them all the same.”

The Master of the house left the railing and turned away from V.

“It’s best to know what is truth, and what is not.”

And with those final words, the man finally left, leaving V with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Dante  
Nico  
Nero  
V  
Shadow
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> The Master
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Tashaki Miyaki - I Only Have Eyes For You


	14. Dates And Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ You and V go out on a date!
> 
> Well,...
> 
> No.
> 
> Just a regular Devil Hunter duty of patrolling the city.
> 
> With a dash of musicals, a pinch of romantic movies, and a huge slice of fluffiness.
> 
> ~ Also introducing "Shinano Musashi", or "ShiShi" for short!

_“I’m going out.” Dante told you a few minutes later after preparing for his next gig. “Hey, you sure you’re not coming?”_

_You looked up from Dante’s small television and shook your head._

_He gave you a look of utter disappointment. “And you’re supposed to be my partner.”_

_“I just don’t feel like it, sorry.” You muttered monotonously, taking your eyes back to the screen._

_The man clicked his tongue. “You’ll regret watching that. Titanic’s gonna make you cry.” He warned._

_“Don’t care.”_

_Dante shook his head. “Whatever.”_

_After his initial failure of making you join the Devil Hunt, the man got out of the building, fully prepared to take on his mission. He stretched and inhaled, letting the polluted air of the city enter his lungs, and finally stepped out._

_“Okay, sunshine!” He said good - naturedly, refusing to get carried away by the negative vibes you just sent him. “Let’s do this - !”_

_But, before he could even go further away from the building, the door opened abruptly and violently. Dante turned around in surprise as you came out with nothing but your pale pink wool sweaters, alpaca jammies, and a pair of bunny slippers._

_“What the hell, (Y/N)?!”_

_“Stay here.” You grumpily told Dante as you shoved him away and took a few steps forward, away from the building._

_“What are you - ?!”_

_“I said STAY!”_

_Dante didn’t say anything else as you walked away from him._

_Cautiously, you took little steps towards the road, wary of your surroundings,…_

_… waiting for it to happen -_

_All of a sudden, the spot in the ground where you stood suddenly caught on fire, engulfing your body with the flaming vortex that seemed to come to life._

_“(Y/N)!” Dante called but, he was too late. He saw how your clothes turn to ash, your hair disintegrate, your flesh -_

_The flame vortex instantly vanished as a seven - foot tall creature made entirely of light appeared in its center, absorbing the flames with a sweep of its long arms. The people around it screamed and scrambled away in fear as it made its way towards the other side of the city, seemingly in search for the source of the magic that caused the flame in the first place._

_With wide, shocked eyes, Dante followed the light._

_Almost an hour of searching led him to the place where he was supposed to exterminate a large group of flame - wielding Demons,…_

_… except that there were no Demons left in that abandoned area. He looked around, found no one, and then, he heard it._

_“Dante!”_

_“(Y/N)?” The man answered. “ (Y/N)! Where are you?!”_

_“Right here!”_

_He followed your voice until it led him to a spot of grass where he saw you sitting on it with your back turned away from him._

_“(Y/N), what happened to you?” Dante carefully asked you as he looked at your bare back. He was totally confused, and who could blame him? He just saw you turn into that strange light - like being. He also realized that you just fought all the Demons, yourself, and now, you’re here, sitting on a patch of grass, completely naked, with only your long hair protecting your modesty._

_“Don’t ask.” You answered him with a light turn of your head. “Just,… can I borrow your coat?”_

_“Right.” The Devil Hunter simply said, still confused of everything that just happened._

_But, you’re not having any of his doubts._

_“Come on, Dante! I have to finish Titanic!”_

_“Alright! Alright! Sheesh,…”_

_The man removed his maroon leather coat, went closer towards you, and draped the thing over you. He waited as you made yourself decent, and when you finally stood and faced him, his eyes widened._

_He was so sure he saw you burn. But, you looked as if nothing even happened to you, not even a tiny scratch._

_He realized you can’t look at him properly due to your current state, so he had no choice but to walk after you._

_But, then, you suddenly collapsed._

_He caught you just in time before you hit the ground. And that’s when he caught something else - your scent - for the very first time since meeting you._

_To Dante, you smelled like a finely aged wine._

_ **The very addictive kind,…** _

***

_“In fact, I’ am the villain of your story.”_

_“Useless.”_

_“You are just a weak human who relies on others for survival.”_

_“Imbecile.”_

_“Still can’t tell him?”_

_“No. He doesn’t have to know.”_

** _“Why does the sun go on shining?_ **

** _Why does the sea rush to shore?_ **

_ **Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?** _

_ **‘Cause you don’t love me anymore.”** _

You slowly opened your eyes, letting your sight adjust to the bright morning light. You could barely hear the melody that was being played on the radio, and you were very sure that you just had a dream that resembled that song, you just couldn’t remember what exactly.

** _“Why do the birds go on singing?_ **

** _Why do the stars glow above?_ **

** _Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?_ **

** _It ended when I lost your love.”_ **

You carefully sat up, feeling stiff all over, then noticed the broken mask on the table shift a little.

You closed your eyes and rubbed them as hard as you could. And when you opened them once more, you saw how the liquid from the mug on the table come to life as it made its way towards the Demon mask.

** _“I wake up in the morning and I wonder_ **

** _Why everything’s the same as it was._ **

** _I can’t understand, no, I can’t understand_ **

** _How life goes on the way it does.”_ **

Your eyes narrowed, your eyebrows furrowed, you carefully picked up the magazine on the table, idly ignoring its lewd contents, and rolled it up like a newspaper. You stood up, watching the porcelain mask as it actually controlled the water to make it merge with it, the curious little thing. You raised the rolled - up magazine, swiftly brought it down, and missed it as it hovered above the table, seemingly making fun of your inaccuracy.

“Oh, no you don’t!” You exclaimed as you hit at it again and again, your efforts fruitless as it dodged every attack you made.

** _“Why does my heart go on beating?_ **

** _Why do these eyes of mine cry?_ **

** _Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?_ **

** _It ended when you said goodbye.”_ **

The sight that greeted V that bright, sunny morning as he entered the van both confused and amazed him, for there, with nothing but a rolled - up magazine, was you, trying to swat an insect, or something ,…

Now, if it weren’t for that adorable, yet angry look on your face, he would never notice what was actually happening.

“It’s still alive!” You yelled as you smacked the mask and failed once more.

Hiding a smile, V went forward, playfully twirling the cane on his right hand, and faced the Demon. He looked down on it, aiming his metal cane at it, and pierced it, crushing its one good sapphire eye and finally putting an end to it once and for all.

“I should have,…” V began, his cane still pierced through the mask. “… done that much earlier.”

“Agree.”

There was a moment of silence as you two looked into each others’ eyes. The place felt peaceful, the environment, calm. Neither was saying any word and neither was looking at anything else.

The moment was perfect, the feeling, mutual,…

“Hooee! What a night!” Nico screeched as she slid the door of the van open, dropping a huge rucksack on the floor in front of you and ruining the moment for both you and V. She collapsed on the sofa, clueless as to what she had just disrupted, and crossed her legs. She looked up in confusion as she saw you and V staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths. “What’re ya starin’ at? Walked in on ya doin’ somethin’ weird or - ?”

“You just did!” Nero, who just entered the vehicle, answered for her and sat on the sofa across her. “Stupid.”

Nico only shrugged her shoulders and opened the rucksack on the floor like nothing happened. You sat beside her, watching her as she picked out some clothes from the rucksack.

“Here, these are for you!” Nico said as she handed you a week - long set of clothes, including some blouses, skirts, shorts, a pair of boots, and even an oversized pale pink parka made entirely of wool - like fabric.

“Thank you so much!” You said, eyes shining in delight as you received the clothes, particularly the parka, from your friend.

“Yeah, I know your taste, hon.” Nico said, smiling from ear to ear as she made one last dive into the rucksack to retrieve some more items.

V took his cane off the Demon mask, leaving it on the table, and retreated towards the corner of the van where he could easily see you without getting noticed. He took out his book, pretended he was reading, and waited as the mouthy woman gave you one last item from the rucksack, which was a pair of black lace lingerie. He couldn’t help but smile as he saw you blush and snatch the undergarment away from Nico’s hand. He hastily focused his eyes on the pages of Blake as you passed him, quickly making your way towards the shower room to change.

“Why did you get too many clothes for her?” Nero questioned Nico as he leaned comfortably on the sofa.

“None of your business.” Nico simply said, mirroring Nero’s gestures. She faced V and spoke to him. “How are things here last night? Hope ya didn’t get attacked by Demons again.”

“Everything was just fine.” V simply answered, deciding to leave behind the part wherein he spoke with the Fleminger House Master.

“Good. Because, we’ll all be getting our hands full as of today.” Nico said as she watched you come out of the shower room fully decent and prepared. She also didn’t miss how V’s eyes automatically locked on your petite form as you sat next to her. She smiled and stretched her arms. “Okay, listen up! Since everybody’s here, I want your focus on this.

"The rest of the Devil Hunters who survived the attack last night have already taken their own place on each part of the city to kill any Demon they would come into contact with.”

“Dante and his team have already taken the north, and that stupid son of a bitch wouldn’t even let us see what’s going on there.” Nero angrily mentioned as he shook his head in disbelief.

“Why would he do that?” You carefully asked him.

“Beats me. Maybe he just wants the, uh, the _Shin_ \- ” Nero stuttered. “_Shinani_, ah,… ”

“Sorry, what’s that?”

“**_ShiShi_**!” Nico answered.

“Oh, yeah, that.” Nero agreed. “He wants that **_ShiShi_** thing all by himself. Damnit, who came up with that stupid ass name?!”

“Pardon my ignorance but,… ” V interjected, curiosity and mild amusement getting the better of him. “… what is this, ah,… _**ShiShi**_,… you’re talking about?”

“_**Shinano Musashi**_!” Nico announced. “That’s the name that they gave that Dreadnought - class Demon. And don’t make me say that tongue twister again! It stays _**ShiShi**_ on my watch! Plus, it’s cuter.”

“Whatever!” Nero retorted. “We’ll just have to take turns patrolling the streets from the afternoon up until dawn and make sure that no Demon escapes from us. We’ll be doing that same routine for a week. That’s the order from the Military and the Fleminger Head.”

“A week?” You questioned as you put your long hair up in a ponytail. “Why patrol for that long?”

“It’s the estimated time of _**Shishi**_’s arrival.” Nico told her.

“_**The fifteenth,… of June?**_” V asked.

Nico pointed two fingers at V as confirmation. “Until then, we’re gonna have to make ourselves at home right here. It’s a bit safer here than out there, believe me. And it’s best to conserve our strength for when that Dreadnought arrives.”

“By saying that we’ll have to take turns patrolling the vicinity for strength preservation,…” V said, leaving his solitary spot on the corner and walking closer towards his companions. “… do you mean to say that it is our turn now?”

“Right.” Nico answered as she nodded knowingly, a huge smile plastered on her freckled face.

A few hours later, after having a decent - ish kind of breakfast with your new companions, you found yourself walking on the deserted streets of Red Grave with none other than the mysterious man, himself, together with two of his familiars.

Along the way, you passed some men in uniform, other stronger - looking Hunters who only sneered at you, and some officials who questioned your presence in the supposedly deserted city.

“No, we are not here for a date.” V denied for the third time that day upon being questioned. “Yes, we are Devil Hunters, and we have proof.”

And for the third time, you walked away from the officials, feeling hot in the cheeks. Everyone seemed to think that you and V were lovers, when your true intention was only to join in the patrol and Demon hunt.

You walked ahead of the man and his familiars, trying to keep your cool for you were aware that your face was entirely red. You slightly slapped your cheeks with both hands and inhaled deeply. Yes, you were anything but lovers. No reason to get flustered about it,…

… until the events that took place in the balcony and the pool came back to your head,…

You face palmed, unable to believe your over active imagination.

“Hey, what’s wrong with ya, sweet pea?” Griffon, who just flew towards you without you noticing, asked you, concerned after seeing you hurt yourself.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” You smiled at him. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Hey, ya look like ya have a fever!” Griffon turned towards V and called the poet’s attention. “Shakespeare, sweet pea’s not feelin’ well - !”

“I told you, I’m fine!”

“Is that so?” V said, walking towards you and putting a hand on your already red forehead. “Hmm. You are feverish. Would you like to go back?”

You stepped slightly away from the man, feeling your body’s temperature going up and your heartbeat going faster at the man’s mere touch.

“I’m fine. Don’t mind me, please.”

You looked away from your concerned companions, trying to find some sort of escape, until your eyes landed on Red Grave’s most popular theatre house.

Your eyes widened with wonder as you went closer towards the building, reading the announcement board with loving eyes.

“Oh, what now, sweet pea?” Griffon asked, following you towards the building.

V saw your reaction towards the place and immediately followed, intrigued by this new side you were showing.

“_**LaLaLand**_.” You exclaimed breathlessly as you pointed at the theatre board. “I forgot! Today’s supposed to be the day that they’re gonna have a rerun of **_LaLaLand_**!”

“**_LaLaLand_**? What’s that?” The demonic bird, being totally clueless of the modern world’s trends, innocently asked.

“Only the most critically acclaimed musical of last year!” You happily explained, putting your hands on your pockets. “And I even bought tickets. Turns out I’ll never be able to use them.”

“Tickets.” V said. “Do you,… intend on seeing it with someone?”

“Yes, with my friend, Patty.”

All of a sudden, an idea came into your mind. Forgetting the embarrassing conversation that took place earlier, you went towards V with an innocent smile on your lips and looked up at him with bright eyes.

“Do you know _**Titanic**_, V?” You asked the man.

“I,… ” V began but, then, realized that he didn’t know what you were talking about. “No.”

You were actually surprised by his answer. Who knew he was one of those very few people who didn’t know about the infamous Jack and Rose’s love story?

“Really?” You said in disbelief, then decided to change the movie. “How about _**Moulin Rouge**_?”

“No.”

_Hmm! Not even a classic! Something modern, perhaps?_“**_The Fault In Our Stars_**?”

“No.”

_What in the - ?! _“_**The Time Traveler’s Wife**_?”

V sighed in both annoyance and disappointment. As much as he wanted to answer your questions, he really had no idea what’s going on in the modern world.

He was stuck too long in the Underworld. For Heaven’s sake, how could he know such things as those?!

“I’m sorry, no.” He simply said.

You crossed your arms, unable to believe that a poor, innocent man such as V still existed in today’s society.

“Have you seen **_Hachiko_**?” _Okay, no one could resist dogs, or Akitas, that I know for sure,…_

To your delight, V’s eyes actually widened as he remembered something very fond, he just couldn’t pinpoint what exactly.

“That,…” he said, feeling proud for once that he had an answer to at least one of your questions. “… I’ve actually heard of.”

“Wow, I knew it!” You cheerfully said, clapping your hands in happiness. “I knew no one could resist good puppers.”

“Hey, what about birds?” Griffon interjected as he flew closer towards the two of you, wanting to join in the conversation. “We’re good too, ya know?”

“I know you are a good bird, Griffon.” You told him with a huge smile. It’s true. He was a really good and brave bird, and he helped V save you last night.

“Ohoho! Say that to me again sweet pea, please?”

“You are such a good bird, Griffon. A very brave and good bird.”

“Woohoo! Ya heard that, Shakespeare?! I’m a good bird!”

V grinned as he watched his familiar fly excitedly over Shadow, bashfully telling the feline that at least one person in the world thought he’s good.

As you watched how V’s familiars interact with each other, something tugged at your consciousness regarding their master. You looked back at V, noticed how he never took his eyes off you, and spoke.

“May I tell you something, V?”

“Don’t hold back.”

“I think you should, ah, how to say this,… ” you stuttered as you searched for the right words to say that would not offend the poet. You were so afraid of saying something that might put him off or make him think badly of you. You inhaled and bravely went on. “V, I think you should go see the world for yourself.”

The man chuckled. “I had a,… fair share of sojourns with my companions here. Thank you so much.”

“Ah, of course, you have! Oh, silly me.” You said, embarrassed of what you just told him. “I mean, I think it would also be best if you, ah, enjoy life, even for once.”

“And what does the Lady mean by her words?” V gently asked, taking note of your flustered state. He immediately sensed that you were being very careful with him.

“I think, you should go see some movies. Drama, action, comedy, whichever genre you like. And eat lots of popcorn or candy bars. Go to the carnival and play silly games, win the stuffed tiger, or whatever. Go have a picnic someplace with lots of grass and sheep, eat lots of food. Go fishing and catch a boot, or something like that. Ah, you get the point.”

“I see. Well, have you done those things, yourself, my Lady?”

“Well, I,… ” you hesitated for a while, then went on. “I was travelling for ten years in search of,… _something_.”

“Then, have you seen lots of movies?”

“Kind of?”

“Did your stomach hurt after eating lots of popcorn and candy bars?”

“Yes. Actually, yes.”

“Did you win the stuff tiger at the carnival?”

“No. I have a really bad aim.”

“And have you caught a boot, my Lady?”

You laughed, actually surprised at V’s sense of humor. “I haven’t gone fishing with anyone.”

V smiled, went closer towards you until he was mere inches away from you, and spoke.

“**_To see a world in a grain of sand and a Heaven in a wild flower, hold Infinity in the palm of your hand and Eternity in an hour._**

"I long to see such things as those you have probably seen. I want to experience everything and I wish to see them with my own eyes. See for myself what these poems of mine describe.” V confessed, effectively distracting your attention away from everything else other than him. “But, the idea of doing those things alone,… do not please me, at all.”

“But, with a companion?”

V smiled, the depth in his green eyes putting you under some kind of trance.

“Would I be selfish if I ask you to accompany me, _**little wanderer**_?”

“No. I would gladly come.” You, being put into said trance, answered without a moment’s hesitation. And when you noticed the huge and smug smile on V’s lips, you could not help but feel even more embarrassed than ever before.

And what’s even more surprising was the fact that his face was only mere inches away from yours!

_Is this it?! Is it finally happening?! _You frantically thought as he leaned in closer towards you,…

However, as perfect as the moment went, you could not help but be utterly disappointed as the skies decided to conspire against you and V, pouring out the rain that instantly drenched all of you.

“Gah! I’m soaking here!” Griffon squawked as he went back to V.

“Let’s go that place!” V suggested, pointing at an open building right across the two of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Dante  
You ( Reader )  
V  
Nico  
Nero  
Griffon  
Shadow
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Skeeter Davis - The End Of The World


	15. She Who Dances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Inside every dancer is a beginner that fell in love."
> 
> ~ V listens as you reveal your saddest memory.
> 
> He also watches you as you tell him a story of a man who leaves a woman who loves him above all else,...

_Dante stood in the lobby as he read the latest issue of his favorite magazine._

_Already in his best formal attire, the man unceremoniously waited for you. The gig this time required the two of you to infiltrate a party to rat a certain Demon out, and at the mere thought of you in a dress had him intrigued._

_Of course, he found you quite fetching. But, the clothes you wore on a daily basis? With your fondness for loose, oversized, and unflattering pieces of clothing, he honestly thought that you got nothing compared to either Trish or Lady, who were two of the most beautiful, if not lethal, women he had ever seen._

_Yes, he thought that all the beauty you got were wasted on your conservative tastes,…_

_“Are we gonna go, or what?” Dante, who failed to notice you as you came down from your room, heard you loud and clear and turned._

_“Hey, what took you - ?”_

_The man stopped dead in his tracks, for there, right before his very eyes, was,…_

_You raised an eyebrow and placed your hands on your hips. “Are you gonna stare at me the whole evening? We still have a job to do.”_

_“The lady is right.” Morrison, who just entered the building, said. And when he saw you, his eyes widened in complete awe. “And surprise of all mother of surprises. You look like the most gorgeous star in the galaxy, my dear.”_

_“Thank you, Mr. Morrison.” You said, taking the Broker’s hand and letting him lead you outside towards his car._

_“Your partner seems to be tongue tied.”_

_“Yeah, he’s busy with that magazine of his.”_

_You carefully entered the vehicle as Morrison opened the door for you. A few moments later, Dante followed._

_The ride towards your destination was a really quiet one. You would occasionally look at the front at Morrison as he drove but, most of the time, your eyes were just glued to the window beside you. Despite that, you could not shake the feeling of heaviness in your body. It’s as if you have been the subject of someone’s intense stares for far too long._

_Still, you smiled, not letting yourself be tempted to indulge your silent companion._

_Your resistance persisted until you two reached the place._

_And Dante could not hold it in any longer._

_“Hey,” he began, isolating you from the other guests by leading you to an empty hallway. “You’ve been keeping things from me.”_

_“Wha - ?” You started to argue but, then, realized he was right. “Well, yes.”_

_“What else can you do?” Dante demanded, your overwhelming scent of a very addictive vintage wine assaulting his nostrils and driving his patience to the limit. “Witchcraft? Sorcery? Voodoo?”_

_You only chuckled at his question. “They’re the same thing.”_

_The man grabbed your shoulders and made you look up at him, his light - colored eyes more intense than ever before. “Tell. Me.”_

_Unfazed, you only smiled up at him, grabbed his huge hands, and removed them gingerly off you. You then took one of his hands and led him back towards the living area where the party was taking place._

_“What are you doing?”_

_“See that lady?” You whispered to him in a lover - like fashion so as not to make yourself obvious that you’re plotting something dangerous. “That’s your target.”_

_“How did you even - ?!”_

_“Sshh! Don’t ask. Okay?”_

_Dante looked at the said female, who happened to be the host of the party._

_“So, in two minutes, she will come our way, introduce herself to you, and start flirting with you. You will flirt with her for, like, five minutes.”_

_The man looked at you suspiciously. “Why did I suddenly feel nervous about this?”_

_“Oh, you’ll be fine. Anyway, her lover will come out of hiding. You will kill him.”_

_“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who said anything about killing an innocent man?!”_

_“And,” you went on, ignoring Dante’s complaint. “… you will use the Rebellion and drive it through his skull, then she will attack you. You will use the Ebony and Ivory against her. And, guess what, all the guests in here? They’re all Demons. You will finish them in, like, ten minutes, tops. Then, you will join me in the balcony and wipe Demon blood off your face.”_

_“And why am I supposed to believe you?”_

_“Because your two minutes is up and she’s coming towards us.”_

_And surely enough, with hips swaying seductively and eyelids fluttering like butterfly wings, the gracefully tall and slender host of the party was coming towards the legendary Devil Hunter. Dante looked back at you and realized you weren’t there any more._

_Approximately fifteen minutes later, the man, who was covered in Demon guts and chandelier glitter, came out to join you on the balcony. He wiped the Demon blood off his face and leaned against the railing beside you._

_“You didn’t even help me.” Dante told you with a huge sigh. “And we’re supposed to be partners.”_

_“Convinced?”_

_“Whatever.”_

_“Hey, at least you got to flirt with her, right?” You cheerfully answered._

_Dante looked at you with every intention of giving you a piece of his mind but, you were already walking away from him._

_“Hey!”_

_You turned back, winked at him, and held up a finger to your lips._

_“Sshh,…”_

_***_

You and V hustled towards the empty building, sheltering yourselves due to the very sudden and heavy rainfall.

Once inside, V heard you grunt in dismay and as he turned to look at you, he saw you as you put your black violin case down on the cold floor and strip off your wet parka, revealing your simple white dress underneath.

Now, V may have no idea, whatsoever, what you’ll need the violin for during the Demon hunt, but he was definitely flabbergasted as to your taste in clothing. It’s as if you were not going on a Demon hunt, at all.

You felt a pair of eyes boring down on you as you picked up your violin case, and when you looked up, you ultimately saw him staring at you.

Then, there was that feeling again - of your cheeks burning, of your heartbeat going wild, of your knees getting weak and wobbly.

It’s as if the man’s mere gaze put your mind in a trance, and your senses into a total discord.

You shyly looked away, trying to escape his longing look, until you finally noticed where you really were.

“Hey, this is a dance studio!” You exclaimed breathlessly as you ran towards one of the doors that led to a huge rehearsal room. You entered it and took in the achingly familiar atmosphere of the place, from its floor, the huge glass windows, to the mirrored walls.

The exact moment when V entered the room after you, Griffon materialized and flew towards you.

“Where did ya just take us to?” The bird irritatingly questioned. “It’s too damn creepy in here!”

“Why? You afraid of mirrors?”

The bird squawked and flew towards one of the abandoned chairs, perching and settling himself comfortably.

You ignored the Demon and went towards the window, seeing the angry outpour outside and the eventual streak of lightning from the sky, followed by the loud boom of the thunder.

“It seems that we have become stranded here for a while.” You heard V’s low voice as you sensed him walking closer towards you.

You simply nodded, still unable to look the man in the eye. “I hope it stops soon.”

“I wish for the opposite.”

The very noticeable purr in the man’s voice made your heart do flips. You turned around, and as another streak of lightning painted the sky, you saw the unmistakable mischief in those eyes and grin of his.

Suddenly feeling both nervous and giddy, you hastily walked towards one of the chairs near Griffon, sat, and removed your boots.

“Okay, these are getting heavy as hell!” You said, unintentionally making your voice loud due to your nerves. “I’m taking these off!”

“Ew!” Griffon exclaimed as soon as your feet came into view. “Did ya step on a fuckin’ corpse or are those yer actual feet, eh sweet pea?!”

You narrowed your eyes at the demonic bird, who started laughing at your pitiful, scarred little feet.

“Hahaha! Ah, haha, eh, well, no offense, sweet pea. Just sayin’ the truth.”

“Beauty cannot be comprehended by small minds, my Demonic friend.” V, who, of course, followed you, fortunately came to your rescue.

You gave Griffon a triumphantly evil grin as you placed your wet boots under the table. “I’m a dancer. It would make perfect sense for me to have _ugly_ feet.” You looked up at V and spoke with him instead of the bird who got grumpy. “I got these scars from years of dedicated dancing.”

“Hmm,…” V mused as he sat on a chair beside you. “Those scars,… symbolize the true enjoyment and will that you felt doing that special something you adore.” He uttered, then leaned closer towards you. With a soft whisper, he said, “Those feet, my Lady,… I would kiss,… over,… and over again,… if I could,… ”

_ **Thump!** _

“Shoes! Shoes! The floor is cold! I need shoes!” You literally yelled, feeling your traitorous heart triple in heartbeat. With hot cheeks and trembling limbs, you hastily stood up and roamed aimlessly all over the room in search of those shoes you mentioned. As lame as you might have looked then, you knew what’s truly going on between you and the poet, you just could not handle your own chaotic feelings. And now, you must have looked like a total mess right before him.

“Yeah, no shit, Shirley!” Griffon sarcastically whispered at V. “Ain’t that right, V? I mean, if ya like her, _**just tell her already**_! Dangit! **_Fuckin’ stop beatin’ ‘round the fuckin’ bushes_**! Look at her, ya broke the thing!”

Surely enough, V saw you wandering around the room, muttering something incomprehensible under your breath.

Taking pity on you and feeling guilty at himself for making you uncomfortable, he stood up and walked to where you were.

You felt the man as he neared you and instinctively halted your silly, panic mumblings. You cleared your throat, bravely faced him, and saw the worried look in those deep green eyes of his.

“Well, I do not exactly enjoy it. Dancing, I mean.” You told the man, making yourself as calm as you could. “It was more like a,… _**survival**_ kind of thing.”

“Survival, you say?” V answered, instantly feeling intrigued. How would one consider dancing as _**survival**_? But, of course, he had no idea what you’ve been through as a child. “Can you, please, explain?”

You slightly got nervous, feeling as if you revealed more than what was necessary. You were only talking about your ugly feet, damnit! No need to drag the man further into your own, dark past.

Once again, you looked around for something, anything, that could save you from your blunder. And there, right on the corner, you saw, as the lightning lit up the dark sky, a pair of forgotten ballet shoes. You looked at the thing with much intent, then back at your male companion.

“Shall I just show you how they made us dance, instead?” You offered. Well, since you’d be moving a lot from now on, you might as well have a sort of a warm up.

And what a perfect way to do that than that accursed piece those pale people made you dance for six whole years.

On the other hand, V felt concerned about you. You considered dance as **_survival_**, and yet, here you were, offering to open up what must’ve been a deep wound from the past.

Then, he had an idea.

“If dancing felt like a challenge to you,” he said, suddenly offering up a hand. “ … then, would you allow this fool to ease the burden and join you for this dance?”

** _Thump! Thump!_ **

Went your heartbeat once more. But, this time, escaping and saving your shy self would not do you any good. So, instead, you took a deep breath, nodded, and looked up at him with much resolve. You took his hand and began with the simplest of steps.

Well! The man surely had instruction! He was sensitive enough to know when you’ll turn, when you must be lifted, and when you’ll change positions. Not to mention his graceful movements! Where the hell did he learn ballet?!

Meanwhile, V only had to thank the endless dance lessons he took when he was only a boy! And not only that, he also had to actually thank his stupid twin for skipping them, for, if not, he would never have received more difficult extra lessons that involved doing a **_pas des deux_** ! And who knew it will become useful in the future?!

For a while, it seemed as though nothing could disrupt the little, yet warm environment that engulfed the two of you. Not even the bleak weather. Even the foul - mouthed Demon perched on the chair close by dared not utter any piercing word.

Everything seemed at peace, the steps you made, perfect. The lightning streaked the sky once more, splashing very little light into the cold, studio. You made another pirouette, longing to end the little dance with flourish, until the loud bang of the thunder came booming down, startling you and making you stumble on your feet. V thankfully caught you just in time before you fall.

“(Y/N),…”

“I’m fine, thank you.” You reassured the man, at the same time getting back up on your feet with his help. “You know, my body’s condition was not how it used to be compared to when I was a bit younger.”

The man smiled gently at you as he took your hands once more, pulling you closer. “Age matters not, as long as you enjoy dancing.”

You sheepishly smiled back at him. “Now that you mentioned it, yes. I enjoyed this dance.”

The man may not have chosen to mention it to you but, he definitely enjoyed the little performance with you. Much more so than you did. For you were there with him, smiling, and forgetting the chaos of this world.

For at least a few minutes, it felt intimate for V.

However, he saw the smile on your face slowly vanish as you let go of his hands. The man looked at you in confusion, then you told him, “There is, _**was**_, only one person in the world who could out dance me in the past.”

The man’s face fell, seeing the sadness that was creeping up on those (E/C) eyes he had come to adore.

With glistening eyes, you simply uttered, “My sister.”

“I’m so sorry.” V whispered achingly at you. “It must be,… ”

“She was,” you went on, managing a smile despite the hurt that suddenly made its way onto your chest at the reminder of your lost, beloved sibling. “ … how to put this? She was perfect in every way. She was the most beautiful girl in the world, and everybody adored her. She,… died,… to save me, V.”

V looked away from her. He had,… someone,… _**very special**_ whom he lost a very long time ago. Hearing you tell your own tale regarding the person you lost brought back those hurtful memories of the one he loved above all else,…

… **_her_**,…

He took a deep breath and faced you once more, not wanting you to worry about him.

“What matters is that you still have precious people around you, my Lady.” He said, his voice hoarse and raw with untold emotions and unshed tears. “You must focus on not losing them, as well.”

You smiled at him, aware of the melancholic feeling you had evoked in the already cold and lonely atmosphere. You took both his hands and guided him to sit on the floor.

Confused, V glanced at you as you positioned yourself in the middle of the empty dance floor. Griffon noticed this change and flew towards his master, settling himself right beside him.

“V,” you began. “… let me tell you the story of a man who regrets the loss of a loved one and the woman who loves him the most. The love of his life. Whom he could no longer be with.”

You took a deep breath and began a slow movement that gradually turned into a series of steps that seemed to tell a story, like what you mentioned.

Every turn, every gesture, every sweet and graceful hand movement told V some numerous, little words forming into silent sentences that seemed to whisper directly at his heart. The steps to the very raw yet beautiful dance you performed honestly moved him, feeling a different kind of an ache within his own heart. The steps turned more radiant as it came to the heart of the story,…

… of a very graceful woman,…

… and the man,…

… who was foolish enough to let her go.

And when you finished, he was both speechless and mesmerized. You looked at him with concern, confused by his uncharacteristic silence.

That was when you saw it,…

… genuine tears falling down his face.

“Ah!” You stuttered, not knowing what to do upon the realization that you just made V cry. “I’m so sorry! I would never do this again! I - ”

You were immediately silenced as V stood and gave you a hug so tight, yet so gentle, that you felt that he did not want to let go of you.

Like he did not want to ever **_lose_** you.

** _THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!_ **

You knew he was still crying, so you took the initiative to wrap your arms around him and pull him closer.

“Hey, it’s okay.” You gently whispered at him, calming him down with your caress. “I’ll never leave you. _**I promise**_.”

And just when things were getting more and more cozy between the two of you, Griffon, who seemed to get touched by your performance, as well, flew towards you with large, melancholic eyes. How strange for a brazen creature such as him!

“Hey, do ya know any more stories that won’t make ya cry?” The bird asked in a sad and weird tone.

“Okay! Let’s see,… ”

V smiled as he let go of you, wanting to hear what you were about to say. He just could not help but become excited for your story.

“There was a warrior who was protected by three Goddesses.” You began. “However, he mysteriously vanished, making the Goddesses scatter all over the world in search of a temporary vessel until he returns. They found her and dwelled within her for a hundred years.

"Then, one day, he returned and two of his Goddesses returned to him. Aside from the last one who got attached to the woman. But, to gain complete power, the man must have all three with him. So, he took the third Goddess from the woman by force.”

“What happened?!”

“Ah,… she died.”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SHITTY STORY?!”

You became nervous as cold sweat trickled down your forehead. “I made it up,… ”

“WHAT IN THE FUCKIN’ - ?!”

“Hush, you Demon,…” V chuckled as he watched the two of you argue,…

But, the fun and peace of mind you had didn’t last long,…

For, only after a few hours, Griffon, who was rendered useless by the Diabolical Amalgam, was screaming your name as you made your way towards the frightening creature, unarmed, wounded, vulnerable, and above all, stripped naked.

“SWEET PEA!” Griffon pleaded as he tried once more to attack, only to fail yet again. “YOU WILL FUCKIN’ DIE! STOP!”

But you only looked back at him, winked, and held up a slender finger to your bloody lips.

“Sshh,…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Dante  
You ( Reader )  
Morrison  
V  
Griffon


	16. The Diabolical Amalgam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Shadow and Nightmare are abducted! And what's even worse is that V is out of commission because of some kind of dark spell!
> 
> Who is the creature behind all this?
> 
> It's up to you and Griffon to solve this mystery of The Diabolical Amalgam!

** _A few hours prior._ **

***

** _“I’ am the villain of your story,… ”_ **

** _“Useless,… ”_ **

** _“Imbecile,… ”_ **

** _“Please, find him and save him before it’s too late!”_ **

** _“VERGIL! WHERE ARE YOU?! VERGIL!”_ **

** _“I’ am so sorry, my dear,… ”_ **

_ **“Fulfill my wish, I beg you,… ”** _

“SWEET PEA!”

You jolted wide awake as you felt a weak electric current run through every nerve of your body.

“Oh, I’m glad you’re still alive!” You heard the Demonic bird as you opened your eyes, letting your sight adjust to your surroundings.

The last time you were awake, you remembered yourself being a bit tired due to your dancing and a bit sleepy due to the cold weather. You remembered V offering you a shoulder to lean on so you could take a nap, and he even offered to read for you to help you relax. You also remembered Griffon settling himself on your left side, squeezing himself closer to you, feeling warm and cozy, and you also saw how Shadow materialized and laid down next to your feet, purring shamelessly loud like the huge, Demonic cat that she was.

Not only that, you could also remember how V wrapped his arms around you as he pulled you closer. You felt the warmth of his flesh, smelled his lulling scent, heard his soft and gentle voice as he read to you,…

… you also remembered how he kissed your forehead as he told you to rest well,…

And now, you stared around the place, feeling as if something was really off in the atmosphere. The air was heavier, and you felt a shortness of breath.

“What happened?” You asked Griffon, your voice sounding strangely hoarse and emotional.

“I dunno!” The bird answered. “I woke up to ya sayin’ some stuff while ya sleep. Then, I saw V,… ”

At the mention of his name, you suddenly felt chills run down your spine. You glanced to your right and saw the man, himself. He was still asleep, leaning onto his cane for support.

But, what really startled you was his hair, which had turned snowy - white, and the absence of all his contract markings.

And most of all, there was a strange aura about him, a very dark and evil one. And it seemed to be the force that kept him unconscious.

“Oh, my God, V!” You worriedly muttered as you shook the man, trying to wake him up. “What happened to him?! What’s wrong with him?!”

“I - i,… tried to wake him up, believe me!” Griffon shrieked, panic taking over. “I even tried calling Shadow and Nightmare! They’re not here! They’re gone!”

“What’s happening here?” You muttered, your head still unable to process the gravity of the current situation.

“I already told ya that I dunno! What else do ya want, a fight?!”

You stood up, and went towards the window. It really was dark, but you knew full well that it can’t be night already. You were only asleep for a while!

And then, right outside the studio, was the answer to your question.

With narrow and cautious eyes, you hustled to where your boots were, hastily wore them, picked up your parka and your violin case on the table, and began to leave. You turned back to Griffon and spoke.

“Stay here with V. I’ll go outside and check what’s going on.”

“Heh! Ya don’t need to tell me that! I’m stayin’ here, bitch.”

“Okay.”

“And what do ya need that violin for? A fuckin’ concert?!”

“Wha - ?!” You stuttered, looking at the violin case. “Who told you I can play the violin? I’m tone deaf!”

“Oh, alright.” Griffon simply replied, then realized that the thing you’re holding onto since the early hours of the day was not a freaking instrument in the first place. “WHAT IN THE ACTUAL - ?!”

But, you were already outside the room and didn’t get to hear the Demonic bird’s curses.

The moment you stepped outside the building, you noticed how the sky was pitch black that not even the stars, the moon, and the clouds could be seen. There was a distinct heaviness in the atmosphere, same as what you felt in V, and it was honestly making you sick.

Not sick physically but, sick in the soul.

It’s as if the air itself could make you feel utterly hopeless.

You looked around the deserted road as you walked, trying to search for the root of this phenomenon, when some strange rocks protruding on the ground came into view. And you were very positive that they weren’t there before.

_What is this? _You thought as you looked at the strange circle - like runes that were carved on the rocks.

“Sweet pea!” You heard the Demonic bird from a distance as he called after you. You turned around, almost mistaking him for the enemy.

“Griffon?! I thought I told you to stay with V?!”

“Not gonna leave ya alone!” The bird answered you. “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry too much about Shakespeare.”

“YOU’RE TELLING ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT V?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!”

“I TOLD YA! HE’S FINE - !”

All of a sudden, you felt a dark and heavy presence looming in the area. The strange rocks lit up a sickly - looking violet, its very essence crawling its way towards your feet.

“What’s that?” The bird, being a few feet above the ground and that strange light, questioned.

You didn’t answer. Instead, you opened the case and took out your weapons.

“Sweet pea, that thing’s not gonna do anythin’ - ”

“WATCH OUT!” You practically yelled as you positioned yourself in front of the bird and managed to slice through the very sudden incoming projectile of light using your bow.

However, the attacker seemed to have a lot more in store for you as you noticed a huge, violet light kind of wave that was coming rapidly towards you.

With much resolve to fight, you positioned the metallic violin in front of you like a shield, channeling the entity’s power within you. The metallic instrument glowed, a sign that it has received the power it needed from you.

“Stay behind me!”

“Don’t need to tell me!” The bird screeched in panic as he did what you told him.

The metallic violin emanated a strange form of light that instantly morphed into a shield, protecting you from the crashing wave of the sinister violet light that disintegrated the ground it touched.

“Ihh! What the fuck is that?!”

“There’s no time to find out. Let’s go!”

And so, using the special violin you had as a shield, you ran forward, making sure to not let even a small part of your skin touch the wave of light.

“Incoming projectile!” Griffon screamed behind you as he spotted a speeding blade of light going down rapidly towards the two of you.

As soon as you noticed this, you raised the bow, waited for the light to come closer, and successfully sliced through it just like what you did with the first projectile. Then, you went on, warily watching out for more of those hostile things.

“What are those weapons?”

“Sword and shield.” You simply answered, not letting your focus waver for even a second. “Well, rapier, actually. The bow is more like a rapier than a sword.”

At the mention of your weapon choice, you could suddenly hear Nico in your head as she made the offer to design a weapon for you for the first time, which was eight years ago.

_ **“Behold my genius! A shield and a rapier in the form of a violin and a bow! You could use this violin to channel the entity’s power from within you. It could absorb energy and turn it into whatever form you desire! A shield, projectiles, anything! And this rapier can cut through Demon flesh as clean as possible. You won’t have to worry about anything if you have these two.”** _

_ **“That’s great!”** _

_ **“One question, though: why violin? If you simply asked, I could have made somethin’ more badass for you.”** _

“That’s because,… ”

You smiled at the memory. You knew very well the reason behind it, and it was to remind yourself of your life - long mission to search for that white - haired man from your visions who could play the violin.

And now that you’ve found him, you don’t intend on ever letting him get hurt.

“There!” Griffon shrieked as two glowing orbs came into view. “That’s Shadow and Nightmare!”

“Let’s get them!”

As you were about to reach the orbs, something sharp and spiky rose from the ground, startling the two of you and wounding your right leg. Your eyes widened in pain as you almost collapsed to the ground. The enemy gave you no time to recover as another spike rose and made a huge slash on your other leg, making you howl in unbelievable pain.

“(Y/N)! You - !” Griffon was about to electrocute the spikes when another wave of violet light appeared out of nowhere and engulfed him.

You watched helplessly as the light possessed the Demonic bird. It happened so fast that you were not able to retaliate in time to save him.

“Griffon!”

“Wait, wait, I’m fine!”

“Are you sure?!”

“Sweet pea, another spike! Let me!” The bird offered as it tried to channel his power for an attack. He folded his wings and unfurled them,…

… but nothing happened!

“Wha - ?! My powers are gone!”

You stood up, trying to ignore the pain in your legs and the blood gushing out from your wounds, when another batch of spikes rose from the round, almost killing you had you not dodged in time.

“Stay close behind me!” You ordered, waiting for the bird to do so. “I’ll protect you.”

With no time left to waste, you made a quick run towards V’s imprisoned familiars, dodging spikes and slicing light projectiles along the way.

Twenty feet, seventeen feet, fifteen feet. You were so close to reaching them,…

… until a strange kind of portal appeared before you. And what came out of it was a creature so diabolical, the Demons you faced before could never compare.

“Malphas!” Griffon uttered in fear as the half female half avian Demon blocked your way.

“What a curious little creature!” The Demon called Malphas drawled seductively as she stalked towards you. “These creatures before you failed before my power! And soon,” she lifted a skeletal finger and pointed it at you. “… your powers shall be mine!”

“HEY, YOU STINKIN’ EXHIBITIONIST!” The powerless Griffon, who was still cowering behind you, yelled. “GIVE MY COMRADES AND MY POWERS BACK!”

“Take them if you can.” The enemy exclaimed. “And if you fail, I will feast on your soul!”

“Not good! Not good! Let’s run away before - !”

But, the bird did not have time to finish his sentence as he saw you charging forward towards the Demon.

Despite your wounds, you managed to evade the spikes and the light projectiles that the Demon sent your way. However, as your wound worsened, your movements became sluggish, giving Malphas her needed signal to finally move against you. She conjured another portal and used it to escape. And seconds later, she reappeared, almost killing you with one slash of her talon. You thankfully escaped, thanks to Griffon who grabbed your parka and lifted you off the ground, sending you a safe distance away from the Demon.

“We can’t do this, sweet pea! W - we d - don’t have the strength!”

You smiled despite your predicament. Your head was getting lighter and your sight was getting more and more blurry. You tried to stand up but, your wounds were really awful that you screamed once more in pain and collapsed to the ground.

“Stop that! You, we, can’t fight! Let’s call the pimple kid and ask for help!

"It would be too late, by then!” You exclaimed, refusing to get knocked out by your wounds and rapid blood loss.

“And how do you propose we beat that thing, huh? Drive that skinny sword of yours through her heart? YA CAN’T EVEN FUCKIN’ STAND! I CAN’T EVEN USE MY POWER! LET’S RUN AWAY AND ASK FOR HELP!”

“NO! I PROMISED TO PROTECT YOU!” You yelled at the bird, your blind convictions surely sending you to your deathbed. “And even if we run, she’ll only go after us. What’s the difference?”

“We’ll live for a bit longer!”

You glanced up at Griffon, giving him a look of bravery despite your pitiful form. “Living for a bit longer? I can’t have that. That’s,…” you stood up and winced. “… unacceptable.”

“And what? Ya really want a fight do ya? YA WANT IT THAT BADLY, HUH?!”

“No.” You finally managed to stand up straight, fully decided and unhesitant for your next move. “But, I have no other choice.”

You removed your parka and tossed it towards the bird.

“Hey! Just what do ya think you’re - ?!”

Once again, the bird did not have enough time to finish as he saw you stripping the rest of your clothes, including the offensively seductive lace underwear that Nico gave you that morning.

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKIN’ MIND?! YES, MALPHAS IS BUTT NAKED, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YA HAVE TO - !”

“Maybe.” You only answered as you took a step forward. “But, we’re way out of our safe zones now.”

“What do ya mean by that? Start getting clear with me, woman!”

You faced him once more, but this time, with a weird smile on your face. “You’re right. I can’t beat Malphas. I’m weak, as you just saw. I can’t kill her but, she can.”

“Ah, who?!”

Nico’s voice went back to your head as you recalled her words once more.

** _“Now, as much as possible, you have to rely on those weapons I gave you. You would only let _ her _ take over as a last resort!”_ **

** _“What if there’s no other choice, then?”_ **

** _“Then, you’re gonna have to say byebye to your clothes! Or, at least, strip them before _ she _ comes. You can’t afford to buy that many set of clothes every after mission! You’ll go hungry!”_ **

“Hunger? Clothes? Whatever.” You uttered to yourself as you made your way towards Malphas.

“SWEET PEA!” Griffon pleaded as he tried once more to attack, only to fail yet again. “YOU WILL FUCKIN’ DIE! STOP!”

But you only looked back at him, winked, and held up a slender finger to your bloody lips.

“Sshh,…”

The Demon noticed you as you reappeared before her, vulnerable, wounded, and exposed.

“Finally accepting your fate, mortal?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You! What are you - ?”

A warm kind of light suddenly engulfed your whole body, lifting you off the ground and blinding Malphas at the same time. Griffon, who was safely away from the fight, saw how your body morphed into a being of pure light that stood much taller than you were.

“Sweet Shirley! What a secret to hide!” Griffon exclaimed as he saw you come closer towards Malphas. “GO BEAT THAT EXHIBITIONIST, SWEET PEA!”

As the Diabolical Amalgam used her powers in the form of her portals, spikes, and projectiles, you only stayed where you were, receiving all the relentless attacks from her. And when the Demon realized that you have become somewhat invulnerable, she tried her best to escape, only to find herself suddenly slashed in different parts of her body. The rays of light that emanated from your very being extended out and went after Malphas in the form of hot blades, slashing her and wounding her, giving her no time to even move a finger. With a swift movement of your arms, you brought down judgment on the Demon, exuding a very bright light that melted Malphas’ grotesque avian form, leaving her true form behind.

“Mercy! Mercy!” Malphas pleaded as she saw you hovering towards her.

“Ooh, this I gotta watch!” Griffon said to himself as he flew down to witness the winning fight.

“Malphas of the Underworld, you stand before the Protector of The Present.” Griffon heard you proclaim in a very different voice. “I command you: speak and reveal who sent you to this Universe!”

“I do not know! I do not - AHH!” Malphas screamed as she felt another slash of hot light wound her already bloody and unrecognizable torso.

“By the name of the One Mistress who commands me, speak the truth!”

But, despite the deadly wounds she just received, Malphas only laughed.

“You know who sent me. It is **_she_**! The most powerful of all. Blood of her blood! Flesh of her flesh! Spirit of her spirit! Arisen from the Dead in pursuit of power! It is,… ”

But, before she could even finish her words, Malphas slowly disintegrated, her flesh turning into ash and her dark aura vanishing.

“We won! We fuckin’ won!” Griffon sang as he also felt his powers returning to him. “You did it, sweet pea! You - ”

_ **“AT THE FINAL HOURS OF THE EVENING AND THE LAST RADIANCE OF THE WOUNDED MOON, THE PAST WILL WEEP, THE PRESENT WILL KNEEL, AND THE FUTURE WILL DIE!”** _

“What in the - ?!”

Griffon witnessed in shock how you uttered those cryptic words in a, yet, different tone than the first one you used on Malphas. He also saw how the light slowly vanished from your body, turning you back into your old self. Your body hovered for a moment, and finally went back to the ground, leaving you with no trace, whatsoever, of your battle against the Demons.

No wounds, no blood, no injuries.

It’s as if you were whole once more.

“Hey, hey, (Y/N)! Wake up!”

As you opened your eyes, you noticed how the darkness vanished from the sky, revealing its soft, afternoon glow. You also noticed how the orbs slowly disintegrate, already making their way back towards their Master.

Aside from one.

Still feeling a bit weak, you went towards that one orb glowing red and blue at the same time, like the two colors were in conflict with each other.

“Who is this?” You asked Griffon.

“Uhh, that would be the cat.” The bird answered.

“Shadow? Why is she - ?” You mumbled, reaching out a hand to the orb.

At the first signs of contact, the orb’s colors became even more chaotic as each of them fought for dominance.

Griffon, on the other hand, knew what’s really going on.

The Yamato was taking over Shadow, it’s very essence beating the familiar’s consciousness,…

… **_just like that one time at Delphi._**

But, why now, of all times?!

“Ah, Griffon? What do we do with Shadow?” You frantically asked as the orb became bluer and bluer by the second.

“Ah! Ah! V! We need V!”

At the mention of its master’s name, the orb suddenly settled down and hastily disintegrated, its dark particles quickly crawling past you and back to the dance studio.

“Oh, there’s no need.” The bird breathed a sigh of relief. “I can tell that V is wide awake and is now running to get here.”

“Oh, I see.” You muttered, then suddenly, the two of you realized,…

“**C L O T H E S**!” You and Griffon simultaneously shrieked in panic.

A few minutes later, V arrived, looking for you and Griffon.

“Hoo, I’m glad you’re wide awake, V!” Griffon shrieked obnoxiously, suddenly blocking his vision.

“As tempted as I’ am to ask what occurred during my,… absence,… I would like to know: where is she?”

“I! That! She! Err!” Griffon hysterically stuttered, making the man even more suspicious.

“Hello, V.”

Griffon stopped mumbling at once when he heard you speak. “Oh, there is the chick! Hahaha!”

V practically shoved his avian familiar aside as he came to meet you.

Fully clothed and with no trace of combat, you smiled at him and said, “Are you alright?”

V sighed. He knew something happened while he was knocked out. But, he dared not ask that, for you were here with him, safe and sound.

“I’ am doing wonderful.” The man replied with a smile.

***

** _“Nothing really matters, anyone can see!”_ **

** _“Nothing really matters!”_ **

** _“Nothing really matters,**_… to me!_**_ ** ** _”_ **

** _“Anywhere the wind,… blows!”_ **

** _“BANG!”_ **

Nico and Nero looked up as the two saw you, V, and Griffon making your way back towards the van after your first night patrol.

Nero ended his duet with Nico and his air guitar performance and ran to meet you halfway.

“Welcome back!” The boy cheerfully uttered, bringing his huge hand down on V’s shoulder and squeezing it. Lightly.

“How did your first night patrol go?” Nico asked with a knowing smile.

“**_Fetching_**.” V answered with a knowing smile of his, emphasizing on the word, giving Nico some false, and filthy, thoughts about how your night patrol with him went.

And, of course, you, being totally dense when it comes to those things, only shook your head helplessly.

“Normal. A few Demons here and there. Nothing special.” You answered, dedicated to keep your confrontation with Malphas a secret from them.

“Can we have breakfast now? I’m starving!” Nero announced as he took a seat on one of the abandoned chairs, waiting to be served like a guest in a restaurant. “And stop hiding that apple pie, Nico! Give it to me now!”

“What are you talking about, psycho?! I’m not hiding any food from you!”

“Oh, yeah? Then, what’s that strong apple pie aroma I’m smelling right now, huh?” Nero questioned, then turned to V. “You can smell it too, right?”

V, who could only smell the fresh flowers in your presence, shook his head.

“Seriously?! What? I’m the only one who can smell it?!”

Griffon was about to join in the apple pie banter when he heard someone calling him. He turned and saw you as you were about to enter the van, drowsily looking at him with one finger held up on your lips.

“Sshh,…”

***

_The moment Trish entered her favorite department store, she knew something was really off._

_She warily made her way towards the back of the shop, knowing the target would be there. She cautiously crouched towards the next aisle, expecting some Demon to come out, when,…_

_“Ooff!”_

_Somehow, Trish bumped into you, making you drop your items on the floor._

_“Oh, I’m so sorry!” You apologized as you picked up your items._

_“No, I should be the one to apologize,…” Trish uttered, trying to help you pick up your things, when she suddenly stopped as she looked down at you. She knew there was something off about you but, then, she knew you were not evil._

_But, what could it be?_

_“Are you okay?”_

_“Yes, I’ am.” You answered, giving her a sweet smile before leaving._

_She waited for you to pay for your things and leave, and when you finally did, she approached one of the Sales Associates and interrogated._

_“Was this her first visit here?”_

_“Oh, the girl? Yes, it is. Cute, isn’t she?” The girl answered._

_It was the first of the many occasions when Trish just had to spy on you, trying to find out that particular something in you that gave her uneasiness and sleepless nights. And in the space of two days, she found out that you worked for Dante as his assistant. You would sometimes go out and do some errands for him, like going to the grocery store, and such. Aside from that, everything about you seemed normal._

_It was when she bumped into you again in that same department store did she finally realized what’s off about you. It should be considered as normal but, Trish knew it in her bones that she was the only one who could sense that elusive something from you._

_Everywhere you went, you leave a distinct sign about you that was very hard to ignore, especially for a Demon like her. And it was only proven further with her latest observations of Dante as she saw him frantically searching for expensive vintages whenever he had the budget and never getting satisfied, not even once._

_It was your scent,…_

_To Trish, you smelled like chocolates._

_The kind that gave her an unhealthy addiction._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Griffon  
V  
Nero  
Nico  
Trish
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Malphas
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody


	17. The Unacceptable Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ V learns of a piece of information from Fleminger about the Dreadnought that he could never accept. Not in a million years, no.
> 
> And it shattered his feelings,...
> 
> ... everything.
> 
> Should he believe the man,...
> 
> ... or not?

_At first, he thought this was some kind of a practical joke but, when Morrison saw you there, sitting alone on one of the swings of that playground that one particular night, he knew that there was, indeed, trouble._

_“At this time of the evening?” The Broker asked, his voice laced with concern. “Tell me what happened, my Lady.”_

_You looked up and smiled weakly, trying your very best to look normal when you could barely subdue your own tears. “Dante has forgotten that I’m coming home.”_

_Morrison took a seat on one of the swings, joining you. “Why would he forget about a lady such as yourself?”_

_You shrugged your shoulders helplessly, showing the man just how much this kind of situation drained you emotionally. “I told you about his girlfriend, right?”_

_“The one who always visits him and - ”_

_“… takes over the place and his entire schedule, yes.” You finished for him, then sighed. “I intend on using the back door, like I always do. It’s,… locked. I tried the front, no luck. Then, I heard them. They were talking about me.”_

_The man’s eyebrows furrowed, his sweat trickling down his forehead due to the very tense, yet sad, situation. “What did they say about you?”_

_“Dante wants me out of his life. He hates me and doesn’t want to see me anymore.”_

_“He didn’t!”_

_“Unfortunately, yes.” You sadly confirmed. “I don’t want to quit Devil Hunting. But, it seems that I just got fired.”_

_“No! Until I say so, you’re not quitting Devil Hunting.”_

_“What will I do?”_

_And so, a month later, Dante found himself knocking on the door of your very own unit in one of the most posh apartments in the city._

_“Come on, (Y/N). Answer.” The man nervously said as he waited for you to open the door._

_“I’m coming!” He heard you say from the other side, and when you finally came to answer, you were startled to find yourself face to face with him._

_“Hey, (Y/N)! I - ” Dante began when you tried to close the door on his face. He held it just in time and pleaded. “Wait! Let me explain.”_

_“You’ve made yourself clear, Sir.” You answered sarcastically, not wanting to let him in at all. “Now, if you would kindly,… ”_

_“(Y/N), listen to me very, very carefully.” The man pleaded once more, managing to get past the barrier separating you two. “I can explain everything.”_

_You just rolled your eyes in defeat and allowed Dante to enter your unit._

_As you sat back down on your sofa, the man’s jaw dropped in awe of your place._

_“You got this place fully furnished already, huh?” The man uttered as he positioned himself on another sofa opposite you._

_“Unlike you, I work my ass off really hard.” You answered nonchalantly as you picked up a leather - bound edition of Lovecraft from the glass - top table._

_“How did you get this place?”_

_“Morrison’s recommendation. Personally knew the owner.”_

_The man flinched at the hardness and coldness of your voice. At first, he didn’t believe that you would get so upset for what happened._

_He didn’t expect it to be this bad._

_“Whatever you heard from us that day, none of it was real. I don’t want you out of my life. I don’t hate you, and I definitely want so much to see you back home.”_

_“This is my home.”_

_“Look at me!” Dante snatched Lovecraft away, making you look at him involuntarily with much anger in your eyes. “You have no idea just how much you affect me!”_

_“Isn’t it the right decision for you to let me go, then?!”_

_“You’re wrong! Everywhere you go, you leave traces of you behind! Everything you’ve touched, every piece of furniture you’ve laid your hands on, even those sad movies you’ve left behind! Everything reminds me of you! I was so confused. I thought that if I let you go, I won’t be burdened by thoughts of you anymore but, I was wrong! (Y/N),” the man said, leaving his chair, coming closer to you, and taking your hands in his. “… go back home, please. I beg you!”_

_You raised an eyebrow at Dante’s pitiable state. You tried to take your hands off his tight grip and failed._

_“Your girlfriend will kill me.”_

_“I broke up with her.”_

_This surprised you a lot, knowing how much the man doted on that woman. “Since when?”_

_“Doesn’t matter. She’s gone.”_

_Eyeing the man suspiciously, you leaned your face closer to his, trying to see if he was telling the truth or not._

_“You do know what our deal is, right?”_

_To this, Dante’s sweat quite literally ran cold. “Y - yes.”_

_“No one would belong to anyone. Right?”_

_“Yes, yes. I know.”_

_You nodded in agreement, then successfully took your hands off him while he was confused and flustered. You stood up, went to the windows, and parted the heavy curtains, letting the sunlight in and letting the man see how you looked clearly._

_Oversized shirt, ponytail, shorts, wool socks, fluffy slippers,…_

_… that intoxicating vintage wine scent that gave him sleepless nights,…_

_To Dante, you were the most beautiful thing in the world._

_“As a matter of fact, I, too, have a proposal. Accept it and I will return to Devil May Cry.”_

_Dante stood up and faced you. “Tell me.”_

_You stepped forward, your gaze not straying from Dante’s eyes._

_“I’ve been searching for someone.” You began as you crossed your arms. “I can feel that I’m going to meet him soon. So, when that time comes, you will let me go.”_

_“Who is he? Why would I let you go if you meet him?”_

_“You will find that out for yourself. Just, please. Agree to this and I will return, I swear.”_

_During that time, he had no idea who this man was, or how important it was for you to meet him. And, who could blame him? All he wanted by then was to be with you,…_

_“Agreed.” Dante finally relented._

_“Good. Now, I have to - ” But, you were distracted as the man suddenly took you in his arms and wrapped you in a really tight hug. “Ew! Dante, you stink!” You shrieked, trying to free yourself from his grasp. “When was the last time you took a bath?!”_

_“A while,… ” the man unapologetically answered, happily sniffing your fragrant hair. “I can’t live without my lovely assistant.”_

_“Oh, my God! You’re hopeless without me, aren’t you?! Please, take a bath first! I’m dying here!”_

_“Would you like to join?”_

_“NO!”_

_And so, without having to join the man in the shower, you were able to return as his assistant. Days passed, weeks, months, everything was going really well for the both of you,…_

_… until,…_

_May 17, 07:45 PM_

_The room was dark. As expected, the building was deserted. You’ve already heard from the local news that the Demon King that threatened Red Grave with the Underworld Tree was already defeated._

_So, as instructed by your boss Dante, you went back a day later to finally meet the others, including the supposed client who offered the job. Yes, particularly him. He said that you two might get along._

_You placed your pale pink fur coat on the sofa, seeing a familiar silhouette sitting behind the desk._

_“Dante, I thought you’re already paid in advance by your client?” You said, walking towards your boss, unaware of everything that took place during the fight. “Where are the others?”_

_“What are you doing here?” He said to you in a raspy voice. “You’re not supposed to be here,…”_

_***_

_“Imbecile!”_

_“Useless!”_

_“That’s what friends are for, right?”_

_“NO!”_

_“Why, V?!”_

_“What evil lurks, I must destroy!”_

** _“The other night dear when I lay sleeping,_ **

** _I dreamt I held you in my arms._ **

** _But when I woke dear,_ **

** _I was mistaken and I hung my head and I cried._ **

** _You are my sunshine._ **

** _My only sunshine._ **

** _You make me happy when skies are grey._ **

** _You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you._ **

** _Please don’t take my sunshine away._ **

** _I’ll always love you and make you happy._ **

** _If you will only say the same._ **

** _But if you leave me to love another,_ **

** _You’ll regret it all one day._ **

** _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._ **

** _You make me happy when skies are grey._ **

** _You never know, dear, how much I love you._ **

** _Please don’t take my sunshine away.”_ **

_Ugh, that radio again,…_

You woke up to that song on the radio and to Nico practically shaking you and slightly yelling at you, worried of your state.

“Hey, honey! You look like you’re having a nightmare.”

“Huh? Oh,…” You grumbled as you finally woke up, opening your eyes and letting your sight adjust to the light. “I hope it stays like that - a nightmare.”

“Why? What happened?” Your friend asked, positioning herself beside you on the sofa.

“It felt,… so real.” You answered, your voice hoarse due to dry throat. “It’s like someone stabbed me in the chest over and over and over,…”

“You’re still here. Don’t worry.”

You suddenly felt all the blood drain from your face as realization harshly hit in. “That’s the problem. I can see the future,…”

To this, Nico only boisterously laughed. You sneered at her as you kicked her out of the sofa. She fell from it, still laughing like crazy.

“That’s never a big deal for ya, hon!” The freckled woman informed you through fits of laughter. “You can heal! Anyone can stab through your chest and you’ll still live!”

“Ugh, are you really my friend?” You shook your head as you sat up straight and rubbed your temples. “Stabbed, burned, skewered. You name it, I went through it. If it weren’t for this entity inside me, I wouldn’t even be talking to you right now. But, nowadays,…” you sighed, still feeling a bit worn out from the events that took place the last time you were awake. “… I feel,… completely drained. Like, I’m running out of lives to spare.”

“Is that even possible?” Nico asked as she stood and made her way to the back of the trailer to make you a decent meal. “I mean, you’ve been with that entity for ten years, and you never complained about getting tired.”

“Yes but, lately, I’ve been feeling, I don’t know, worn out? Like I’ve been running an endless marathon with hardly any breaks.”

“I can tell.” Your friend answered with a knowing smile.

“What time is it?”

“Eight fifteen.”

“What? I couldn’t be sleeping for only fifteen minutes.” You questioned, feeling confused.

Nico laughed as she put a mug of hot coffee down on the table. “Hon, you’ve been asleep for twenty - four hours straight!”

“Excuse me?!” You shrieked in disbelief as you hastily made your way towards the dashboard to look at the clock. Yes, it was nearly sixteen minutes past eight in the morning, and you also found out, in horror, that a full day has already passed. “No. Way!”

“V was lonesome, ya know? Wanted to spend the rest of the evening with ya.” The freckled woman declared as she put a plate of scrambled eggs on the table for you to eat. “But, ya had to be sleepin’ freakin’ beauty all day. I knew he should have kissed you awake. Ya know what I’m sayin’?”

“Where is he?” You asked, ignoring her jokes and settling back down on the sofa.

“Patrollin’ the streets with Nero. They should be back any moment now.” Nico answered as she sat on the sofa opposite you. “They took out Eleison.”

“Eleison?” You uttered as you took the mug. “Who’s that? Another Devil Hunter?”

“Oh, that’s Nero’s motorcycle. He named it Eleison for some reason. I don’t know but, everytime Nero mentions it to Kyrie, the girl would not stop giggling. Maybe some lovers’ inside joke or somethin’.”

“Yeah.”

You were about to enjoy your breakfast when you heard someone knocking on the door.

“Since when did I start locking this car, psycho?!” Nico wildly screamed as she stood up and went towards the door to open it,…

“That Fleminger guy better pay me double for this!” Nero raged as he and V made their way back to the mansion after a hard night’s work.

V only chuckled. “As silly as a man’s folly can get,… you should not blame anyone for your own mistake.” He simply said. After two nights straight of Devil Hunting, he felt really worn out to the bone. He longed so much to take a rest, maybe sleep for five hours or so.

But, most especially, he wanted to see you again,…

Nero looked at the thing in his hand and grumbled. “I’m sorry, Eleison.”

When the trailer finally came into view, the two men noticed that not two but, three people were waiting for them.

“Is that,… ?” Nero quietly asked as he pointed at their surprise visitor.

“It is.” V confirmed as memories of that last night went back to him.

As soon as Nico saw the two men approaching, she started waving her arms excitedly, wanting them to meet them faster. And when they finally did, she noticed the suspiciously familiar handlebar on Nero’s hand. Except that it was burnt and slightly bent.

“Yo, dude!” Nico exclaimed breathlessly as she took the thing from the man’s hand. “Is this what I think this is?”

Nero sighed. “Yes.”

“Poor Eleison! What happened to her?!”

“This Demon we fought, a huge thing with tummy teeth, sucked it like a damn vacuum and spew it out at us with fire! That’s what’s left of,… her.”

“I knew she’ll break one day!” Nico said, unintentionally blissful of her accurate conjecture. “I just didn’t know it would happen this way.”

“And we found this.” V added as he threw a horn - like thing at her. It was dark - colored and still smoking slightly. She caught it excitedly and sniffed it like it’s the most fragrant thing in the world.

“Hooee! I’m gonna make something AMAZING out of this!”

“Did you just sniff that?” Nero questioned, utterly revolted. “Do you have any idea where that’s been?”

“Up your butt?”

Nero helplessly shook his head. “Focus on the mission!”

“The boy is right.” A fourth, unknown voice informed them.

All three of them looked behind them to finally notice the Fleminger Head, himself, who was sitting on one of the abandoned chairs of his once pristine ballroom. Next to him, they noticed you, waving at them with a nervous smile.

Fleminger stood up and made his way towards Nero. “I believe you are the hero who defeated the Demon King of Red Grave.”

“I’m hardly a hero.” Nero, not being used to open recognition despite the way he looked, only muttered. “And you must be the man behind all of this.”

The man chuckled. “You have no idea what your words just now meant. I’ am Lord Fleminger, your humble servant.”

“He gave us a week worth supply of food, for your information!” Nico declared proudly as she pointed at the trailer behind her.

“That is,… _unusually kind_,… of someone like you.”

All four of you, including Fleminger, himself, looked at V as he said those threatening words. He has never forgotten his strange and suspicious encounter with the man, and after that, he became even more cautious of him.

Not to mention it irked him that he was sitting close to you.

“My Lord, it is a pleasure to see you once more.” Fleminger calmly answered V.

“You’ve met?!” Both Nero and Nico said, startled at what they just found out.

“Pleasure.” The poet monotonously replied.

“A word or two. In private. If I may?”

You watched worriedly as Fleminger drew V away from Nero and Nico, excusing themselves. You noticed as V glanced your way, his facial expression telling you not to worry, when you honestly felt the opposite.

You smiled at him, reassuring him that everything would be fine.

V allowed himself to be led by the man, and as he cautiously followed him all the way to the other side of the mansion, he began to suspect something more dreadful, like he was willingly walking into a trap laid by the enigmatic man.

However, despite his gut feelings telling him of impending trouble, V remained silent, his metal cane and their footsteps the only things making noise against the cold, marble floor.

Fleminger, who was talkative, as always, opened his mouth and spoke.

“You have not forgotten about my advice, haven’t you, my Lord?”

“How could I forget such a thing?”

Fleminger chuckled, his voice low and seemed to vibrate.

“Fetching little thing, actually. Came to see her for myself.”

For some reason, V felt the hairs on his nape stand on end at those words. Vague, they may be but, it surely caught his attention in a very bad way.

“Pardon?”

Fleminger did not elaborate. Instead, he turned to the right and faced an ornate wooden door that must have led to an office of some sort. He simply opened it, letting V enter first.

Albeit hesitant, the poet obeyed.

What greeted him inside really didn’t look dangerous, at all. The room was vast, with several portraits of what must’ve been Fleminger’s ancestors hanging on the wall. The heavy oriental maroon curtain was not drawn, and the mahogany floors looked like they have just been polished to a certain degree of perfection. There was a sofa facing a warm hearth, and in the middle of the room was Fleminger’s desk.

“Ah, the errors of humanity, I have forgotten to let the sunshine in!” Fleminger exclaimed theatrically as he made his way towards the curtains to part them, splashing light all over the gorgeous, yet dreary room.

“Why did you choose to stay here?” V inquired, his suspicions of the man getting the better of him.

“My Lord, this is my home.” His companion answered as he leaned on his desk, his gestures similar to when V first met him. “I’ am old, and have nowhere else to go. But, with Devil Hunters such as yourself, I feel secure.”

“Tell me what this Demon is.” V demanded. “You know things that we don’t. You said so, yourself.”

“Getting straight to the point, aren’t we, my Lord?”

“Tell. Me.”

Fleminger smiled at him, his facial expression very much unreadable. “Do you know why the Dreadnought have an army of Demons at its beck and call?”

V didn’t answer and instead allowed the man to continue speaking.

“It is said that the Dreadnought have this,… _unusual _characteristic. A _**unique trait**_, if you will. It draws both higher and lesser Demons to it, enabling it to manipulate them in unspeakable ways.”

“And what is this characteristic?”

“My Lord, what did I tell you the last time we met? About blocking your own sensations?”

V ransacked his convoluted mind for that one encounter, and what came up utterly shocked him to his very core.

“_**You know how some pleasant things send so many different kinds of sensations all throughout the body. I suggest blocking all of them all the same**_.” V clearly remembered the man speaking. “_**It’s best to know what is truth, and what is not.**_”

But, then, if the Dreadnought could manipulate Demons, both higher and lesser, then he knew - !

In an instinct, V called upon Shadow, who instantly materialized and bared her fangs at Fleminger.

“How did you know who I was?!” V hissed, pointing his cane at the man and threatening him.

Fleminger only laughed. “There is no need to threaten me, my Lord, for I’ am not your enemy. I’ am here to serve you.”

“For what?” V said at the same time that Shadow growled.

“For a greater purpose.” Fleminger left the table and pointed at the portraits of his ancestors. “This Demon has been an archenemy of my family for a hundred years. I’m sure I have already told you that. Putting an end to it means giving those poor souls an eternal rest in Heaven. Ending it means putting an end to my grandmother’s life - long sorrow.”

“And why do I have to be involved with your ancestor’s problems?”

“Oh, because you are the only one who could deal the finishing blow to this unstoppable enemy. Having experienced firsthand this,… **_Demonic characteristic_**,… our Dreadnought has, I’ am confident that you would overcome it, seeing through the lies and uncovering the truth.”

“I demand you cease this nonsense! I have not experienced this Demonic trait, nor,… ”

Something made V stop mid - sentence.

Manipulation of the Demons through a particularly unique characteristic?

Manipulation?

Demonic trait?

Fleminger’s smile widened as he noticed V unwillingly drop his defenses at the sudden realization. His suspicious smile even widened as the poet called Shadow back.

“It seems, my Lord, that you have finally understood something.”

“Tell me,…” V quietly said, unable to believe everything he just found out. And still refused to do so. “This trait - what is it, exactly?”

“**_Scent_**, my Lord.” Fleminger answered in a whisper, leaning his face closer to V’s direction, casting an uncanny shadow. “Demons are drawn to a particular scent this Dreadnought releases. This **_scent_** depends on the personality of its target. It hypnotizes them, and when it finally has them on its grasp, it manipulates them to do its bidding.”

“This,… is impossible.”

Metal cane dropping to the floor with a loud clang, sweaty hands trembling in both fear and nervousness, V’s eyes widened, shock and pain tearing at his own heart and soul.

“I’m afraid it isn’t, my Lord.”

Hands going up on creased forehead and eyebrows furrowed with conflicting emotions, V spoke. “How do I know you are not spouting lies?!”

***

You patiently waited for V to return, and when you finally saw him walking towards you, your face lit up in delight. You excitedly ran and met him halfway.

“V!” You cheerfully said, looking up at the man. “Welcome home.”

“Not now, (Y/N).” The man answered in an uncharacteristically cold tone. “I’m tired.”

“… what?” You managed to speak, easily hurt by his sudden distant attitude towards you.

“Give me a moment. A minute, an hour, I do not care. Please, I beg you,…”

And with those words that cut through your chest like an ice - cold knife, he left you and isolated himself from the rest of your group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Morrison  
Dante  
Nico  
V  
Nero  
Shadow
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Fleminger
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Jimmie Davis - You Are My Sunshine


	18. Aspect Of Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ You come along with Nico to test and "document" her latest experiments to "help" you in battle. You call The Protector of The Present's name over and over again,...
> 
> ... but, another strange entity takes over you,...

_It was the happiest moment of my life. The moment we spoke our vows, the promise of our unending love, the feeling when he slipped the ring on my finger, and that time when we kissed,…_

_… it was as if the universe conspired to make everything perfect for the two of us as husband and wife._

_But, that was a year ago. Despite our efforts, we could not help but be crestfallen for the thing we desired the most but could not gain - offspring._

_We consulted every possible expert we could think of but, it seemed that it really was impossible for me to conceive. And one day, we just,… stopped trying. I knew there was something wrong with me, and I could never deny it._

_But, my husband, despite this condition of mine, stayed with me and remained patient and understanding. He never gave up on me and never once left me. He gave me all the love that he could, despite the fact that I was unworthy of it to begin with._

_No, he never thought of me as unworthy. Never._

_Then, one day, he gave me the most wonderful gift in the world. Gifts, in the form of three very different, yet precious, little girls who stood before me that one morning during my birthday._

_He called them Galatea, Andromeda, and Cassandra. They were the three sisters of fate - The Bearer of The Past, The Protector of The Present, and The Aspect of The Future. The three loyal Muses that served him and guarded him._

_Despite them not being human, and also not Demonic, in nature, they do mimic everything that normal little girls do. They play, sing, dance, they ask for bedtime stories, they yearn for love. And they were the most beautiful beings in all of existence._

_They were,… perfect._

_From that day onward, they have become my three darling daughters who stayed with me at all times, protecting us and making us whole and happy,…_

_***_

_ **“Talk about a fine line between love and hate.** _

** _We’ve lost more than our direction of late._ **

** _Talk about a fine line between lovers and friends._ **

** _We’ve never been lovers now we’re not even friends._ **

_ **In this invisible war, it seems we’re waging an invisible war.** _

** _Everyday I seem to lose you more in this invisible war._ **

** _Wounded deeply the scar is here to stay,_ **

** _Opening up the little things I do or say._ **

_ **You always want things to be as before.** _

** _So I make you angry and you bleed a little more._ **

** _In this invisible war, it seems we’re waging an invisible war._ **

** _Strained maneuvers keeping silent score in this invisible war.”_ **

“Where is V?” You asked Nico for the third time that day.

Instead of saying that she didn’t know, the freckled woman sighed. “Is there something wrong, hon?” She inquired as she repaired one of Nero’s Breakers.

“Ah, nothing.” You let out with a dejected sigh.

“You sure?”

You nodded.

“Whatever you say,… ”

It was a really cold and cloudy day. Nero was snoring loudly on the sofa, Nico was doing some more Breakers for him to kill time, V was, indeed, nowhere to be found,…

… and you?

Ever since that strange encounter you had with him earlier, you couldn’t help but feel unnerved. It’s like a part of him drastically changed the moment he went back from his talk with Fleminger. You so wanted to ask him what’s bothering him, to comfort him and to offer a shoulder to lean on.

But, the fact that you just saw him got hurt with something unknown? It was like watchig a loved one suffer from the other side with bars separating them, making it impossible for one to reach the other. And it really took a toll on your sensitive emotions.

You just couldn’t stop thinking and worrying about him. And it awfully hurt not to see the usual V you have grown to admire and adore.

Silly, yes. But, you missed him so much,…

And the sad song on the radio was really not helping with your current situation, at all!

Nico noticed your behavior and cleared her throat, which successfully gained your undivided attention.

“If you’re just gonna grumble all day, then we might as well try out my new invention.”

“What’s your new invention?”

The Artisan at Arms proudly smiled and crossed her arms.

“Oh, you’ll see what I’m talkin’ about.” She gloated with a wink.

A few hours later, the two of you arrived at the farthest and most abandoned site in the city away from Fleminger’s mansion.

Nico dropped her huge rucksack on the ground and took out several pieces of unflattering clothing from it.

“What are these?” You curiously asked as she handed them to you.

“Those are special clothes made from a very durable and expandable fabric that absorbs extreme heat and pressure. I was developing it a week before this whole fiasco began.”

“And this is for me?”

“Of course!” Nico answered, crossing her arms and looking very proud. “You can’t burst out of your clothes every time you transform into that thing! We need to innovate! And we,… ” she took out a video camera from the rucksack, turned it on, and focused it at you. “… are going to test that right now.”

Staring at the woman, clueless, you muttered, “Ah, so I have to change now?”

“Of course, dummy! And make it quick!”

After scrambling to a secluded, hidden place to change, you came out wearing Nico’s invention looking like a huge walking fashion faux pas.

“Is this it?” You questioned, looking at the huge sleeves of the gray jumpsuit - like outfit that was several sizes too large for you.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Nico answered as she settled her video cam on a tripod. She took a peak at it and waved her arms. “Hey, uh, I need you to move farther away.”

You took a few steps away from Nico. “Like this?”

“Honey, I mean, further, further away. I don’t want to get disintegrated!”

“Fine,…”

You walked several feet away from Nico, trying to measure just how much the impact of your transformation would make, and when you faced her once more, she finally gave you a thumbs up.

“Okay! I need you to transform on the count of three!”

“Alright!”

“Whenever you’re ready!”

“I’ am!”

“Alright, then! ONE, TWO, THREE!”

You called the entity’s name, summoning it, and when you felt its presence, it instantly took over your body, enveloping you with that blinding light and disintegrating everything within your immediate vicinity.

“Never gets old, (Y/N).” Nico said, whistling as she captured your mind - blowing transformation on camera. “Never gets old.”

The entity hovered for a moment, waiting for a command, until Nico finally gave it.

“Alright, hon! You can go back now!”

The seven - foot creature spread its arms, enveloping itself once more with light. And after a few heart - stopping moments later, you changed back to your original form,…

… butt - naked from head to foot.

And from the moment you realized how exposed you are, you gasped in fright, covered your private parts, then hustled back to that secluded place where you’ve been before to put on clothes.

A few minutes later, you were back, horrified to see Nico laughing non - stop,…

… and the camera still recording!

“Are you really my friend, or not?!” You shrieked at the woman, not caring in the least that your movements were being documented.

“Dude, chill! I need this for documentation!”

“Of your crappy invention?!”

“Hey! It’s a - HAHA - work of - HAHA - art!”

“Ugh, SHUT UP!”

Despite your complaints, you were back to where you transformed, wearing another one of Nico’s inventions but, this time - in the form of a school uniform.

“What,… IS THIS?!” You yelled at the woman, disgusted at how extremely short the skirt was.

“Uhh, never mind that!” Nico, who was fortunate that she was far away from you and, therefore, could not be seen sweating, answered nervously. “Another round!”

You sighed, shook your hands, took a deep breath, and morphed once more into the entity.

And, once more, Nico recorded it, along with how you morphed back, and how you were naked again.

“THIS IS NOT WORKING!” You shrieked like a depressed banshee as you made your way towards your hiding place to put on clothes.

“You’re almost there!” Nico reassured you a few moments later as she recorded you once more, this time with you wearing what looked like a risqué pop idol cosplay. “Don’t worry! You look hella cute!”

“Just get on with it!”

And so, you transformed once more, went back,…

“THIS IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” You angrily shrieked, this time not even bothering to run away to get dressed. You just strode angrily towards Nico, who was still filming you in all your naked glory. “And why do you have to film me getting myself naked? You’re planning something, aren’t you?!”

Nico laughed nervously, her sweat instantly giving her away. “What do you mean by that?! I’m so not going to let V see this!”

“UGH!” You let your frustration out as you face palmed. Of course, she’s planning to let V see all this!

However, at the mention of the poet’s name, you heard a noise coming from somewhere not far away. Nico stopped panic explaining as soon as she saw you getting your guard up.

You swore that whoever’s watching you, they would not get out of this alive. Not when you’ve exposed yourself over and over.

You took simple, wary steps to your left.

“Hey, Nico,” you began. “I think I left something at the van.”

“What’s that?” The woman played along, knowing your plan by instinct.

“V’s jacket! I remember he told me to mend it,…”

And surely enough, the two of you heard the noise once more. It sounded like,… a squawk?

Your eyes widened. You gave Nico a subtle nod and made a quick dive behind one of the boulders.

There was a struggle, a lot of noises and curses, and a few agonizing minutes later, you finally came out, dragging a blue demonic bird by its beak.

“MHMH! MHMH! MMHHMMHH!” Griffon yelled through his muffled beak.

“Ohoho, so the little chickee really wants to be cooked in a steel pot, after all!” Nico taunted, making the bird struggle even more, to no avail.

“BRING OUT THE STEEL POT!” You madly boomed, not letting go of Griffon’s beak. “I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS BIRD IS _**BREWING**_ UP!”

“MMMHHHMMM! NNNYYYEEERRRHHHGGG!” The bird panicked once more but, this time, he was able to let out a weak electrical current, enough for you to let him go.

“FUCK! FUCK! FFFUUUCCCKKK! I THOUGHT I’M DONE FOR!” Griffon squawked, flying just a few inches above your head. “WHAT’S YER PROBLEM, WOMAN?! YE TRYNA KILL ME BY COVERIN’ MA NOSE?!”

“Ah,…” you stuttered but, then, remembered that you wouldn’t do such a thing to him if he didn’t start anything in the first place. “YOU CAN’T BLAME ME! You know, all you need to do is ask and I’ll definitely allow you to come along,…”

“Wait, don’t tell me Chickee here knows the secret?!” Nico exclaimed, pointing at you and Griffon.

After a minute or so of explanation on how Griffon came to know your secret, Nico nodded knowingly, finally accepting the fact that the bird was now in on all your secrets from that fateful day onward.

“So, let me get this straight, Chickee knows the secret but, V doesn’t?” Nico questioned.

“Y - yeah,… ?” The bird hesitantly answered.

“WHAT’S THAT? YOU TOLD V, DIDN’T YOU?!” You yelled at the bird as you grabbed his wings.

“NO! NO! I SWEAR BY MA OWN FEATHERS! SHAKESPEARE DOESN’T KNOW A SINGLE THING! I SWEAR! I SWEAR! DON’T MURDER ME WOMAN, I BEG YOU!”

“He’s telling the truth.” You finally admitted as you let him go.

“WAIT!” Nico, who seemed to not let go of the issue just yet, stopped you. “If you’re here, then V is here, too!”

Griffon’s eyes widened. “Hehe, well,…”

“AHH!” You shrieked in embarrassment as you covered your parts and literally collapsed on the ground, feeling your body heat up.

“HAHAHA! WAHAHAHA! LOOK AT YA! WAHAHA! WAHA - !”

Now, it was Nico’s turn to grab the demonic bird by his beak.

“Keep messin’ with us, and you’ll really have to say bye bye to your pretty little Shakespeare!”

“SQUAWK!”

After a few more threats to the poor bird, you three had finally managed to settle down. You, now fully dressed and officially through with Nico’s experiments, were taking a nap, leaning against the wall inside the abandoned building. The freckled woman was putting the camera back to her rucksack,…

… and Griffon? It was safe to say that the bird has started sniffing you for some unknown reason. Your friend noticed this and called his attention.

“Hey! I know that’s a chick you’re sniffin’ there but, ya just can’t do that without V’s permission. He’ll get real mad!” Nico mumbled in a whisper to avoid waking you up.

“Ah! Haha! Well, tryna sniff some bugs out,…” Griffon nervously lied, then whispered, more to himself, “That’s weird, I can’t smell anythin’!”

“I heard that!” Nico retorted as she quickly made her way towards you and him to shelter herself from the impending rain.

“Can’t ya smell anythin’ weird about her?”

“Weird? You mean bad odor, or - ?”

“Not bad odor!” Griffon shrieked.

“Sshh!”

“Oh, sorry.”

Nico raised an eyebrow as she sat next to you and wrapped her arms around her knees for added warmth. It really was getting a bit colder.

“You’ve been actin’ weird. Especially that Shakespeare dude! Where’s V, huh? And you better start tellin’ me the truth.”

“He’s,… ah,… somewhere! Yeah, somewhere,… ”

“Really?”

“Well, I can’t really tell ya! Just know that he’s out there but, not close here, yeah?”

“Whatever.” Nico said, rolling her eyes. She pushed the rim of her red - framed glasses closer to her nose bridge and went on interrogating the bird. “And what do ya mean by that odor?”

If birds could sweat, Griffon could probably produce buckets by now. Fortunately, it was slightly hard to see through his real emotions due to his brash nature.

After all, Nico would surely suspect something if he told her that V sent him to spy on you.

And for what reason?

V actually didn’t fully believe everything that Fleminger person told him. He said to him the exact opposite of what he truly believed in, and, confused to the core he may be, he wanted to make sure if the guy was telling the truth, or not. He just couldn’t do the spying, himself, as of the moment. It just felt wrong to do it to a lady such as you.

After all, he did come to adore you despite the really short time you’ve been together. And he’s not letting anyone ruin that.

Not now when,…

So, he wanted to make sure by first sending Griffon to you. If the demonic avian failed to produce results, then he’d be the one who will do the interrogation, himself but, only as a last resort.

He would never believe that YOU were the Dreadnought, and he’s willing to prove it so that he could slap that hard truth to Fleminger’s face. Along with Shadow’s scratches to boot.

The only problem was, he didn’t know that you were hiding secrets from him, yourself. That alone was truly suspicious, and Griffon knew all that. The Demon just opted not to tell V that, for he had also learned to love you as a friend after the Malphas event. You’ve been a really good person and a protector to him, and he, like V, hoped that Fleminger was wrong about you.

“Hey!” Nico said, snapping her fingers to get Griffon’s attention.

“What?!”

“The odor? I was asking about (Y/N)’s odor.”

_Ah, crap,_ Griffon thought. _Should I let this woman know?! She’s her friend! She could easily tell whether (Y/N)’s the fuckin’ Dreadnought or not!_

“Well! I, uh,…”

“Speaking of which,” Nico interrupted, much to the bird’s rotten luck. Or, was it? “… Nero has been bugging me with this non - existent apple pie he’s been sniffin’ round about three days ago. I mean, I can’t even bake. But, if it’s Kyrie then - !”

“If the pimple kid’s a Demon, then that makes total sense! I - ” Griffon blurted out without even thinking, making the woman stare at him in disbelief. He gulped audibly, his nerves getting the better of him. “Ah, oops?”

Nico raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “And what does that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, what?”

“THAT?!”

“AH! AAHH! NNRRGGHH!” Griffon squawked and started flapping his wings wildly in panic.

“HEY! I’M ONLY ASKING A QUESTION!” Nico said in an effort to make the bird calm down. “Unless,… ” she stood up and pointed a tattooed finger at him. “… YOU’RE REALLY HIDING SOMETHING FROM US!”

“WWWHHHAAAKKK! QQQUUUAAAWWW!”

Griffon was moving too much that he accidentally scratched your arm in accident.

“DUMBASS!” Nico grabbed the bird’s talons, taking them away from you. “LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE!”

“G - guys,… ” You muttered, finally waking up due to the noise and the sudden pain in your arm. “What’s happening?”

“It’s the chicken’s fault!” Nico shrieked, shaking the bird in annoyance.

You gave them a confused look, then glanced at the now bloody wound on your arm. You shook your head in disbelief.

“Do not be too hard on the creature. I will heal.” You tiredly responded, standing up and making your way outside despite the rain.

“Hon, it’s still raining.” Nico pleaded as she finally let Griffon go.

“It matters not.” You answered monotonously. “This body would soon perish, after all,…”

“Come again?”

It took both Nico and Griffon a few seconds to realize that your voice sounded different, the way you moved looked suspicious,…

… and your eyes seemed a different shade,…

“(Y/N), is that you?” Nico asked, wary of her own movements.

“That is the name of our vessel.” You answered, further confirming that you were taken over by the entity in a space of only a few moments right after waking up.

“_**Our**_?” Griffon added. “What do ya mean by that, sweet pea?”

“Feeble minds would never be able to comprehend the meaning of our existence. Humans and Demons alike perceived us as one.” You glanced back at them, only for them to see that you have completely changed your appearance.

To Nico and Griffon, you now looked like a tall and slender woman with beautiful dark skin and equally dark and abundant hair. Your large, mournful eyes shone brightly and looked upon them with such enigma that none of them dared to utter a word.

“We are one. However, at the same time, we are three. I’ am the Aspect of The Future.” You, or the entity, made yourself known. “I’ am here in this crucial moment to partake of a vital information from the near future.”

“Future?” Nico bravely asked whilst Griffon remained silent. “You have a prediction for us?”

The entity, or The Aspect of The Future, bowed her regal head.

“In four days time, two hearts would be ripped open, blood shall be spilled, and emotions will clash upon uneven ground. A Prince will awaken and a King shall rise. The Pale Ones would make their move and engulf the whole world in darkness. Only then would the third and final heart, the one who would regret the most, be stabbed by their own doing.”

“That sounds,… cheerful,…” Nico added sarcastically to somehow lighten the mood. She might have poked fun at you for changing into that light being who can disintegrate your clothes but, she just couldn’t make fun of this particular entity who made unfunny prophecies.

Griffon flew towards the entity before Nico could even stop him.

“You said something before about crying and kneeling, and whatever that was.” The demonic bird questioned. “What’s up with that? Another twisted plot on a fuckin’ t.v. show?!”

“My answer remains the same.” The entity answered calmly. “At the final hours of the evening and the last radiance of the wounded moon, the past will weep, the present will kneel, and the future will die.”

“The future will die?” Nico cut in. “Is that what you mean by your body perishing soon?”

But, the entity did not answer. Instead, she went past Griffon and made her way towards the woman.

“Would you weep, human?”

“Uh, it depends,…” Nico simply answered. It’s the plain truth! Why would she cry at the prophet’s death?

“You are strong and vigilant. Remain as such until the promised hour.” The entity answered, then went back towards Griffon.

“Ahh, ya have somethin’ for me?” Griffon asked.

“Remain true to your instincts.” The entity told him. “Even in the face of true danger.”

“Okay,… WHAT?!”

The entity nodded, then faced away from them, glancing at the depressing weather outside. Nico, who was curious to know more, followed suit.

“Why are you telling us all this? Isn’t the future kind of forbidden to tell? And why show yourself now? Because the world is ending and some shit?”

“And so, you believed me?”

“Well, yeah! I believed in my friend, and her power comes from you! Of course, I believe you.”

“Such innocence,…” the entity simply stated, then released a sound that sounded strangely like a chuckle. “There was a time when I was stoned by my own people for warning them of such dangers. No one believed me, and that is my eternal curse. A curse for turning away a powerful lover. He gave me this power.”

“No one’s stoning you here.” Griffon said, joining the two. “That’s just barbaric.”

“Is there a way to prevent all this bad stuff from happening?” Nico finally asked, positively itching to know the solution. Well, there must be! “Like a plan B, or somethin’?”

“There is no alternative. Everything I told you is inevitable.”

“So, that’s it, huh? All of us will fuckin’ die?” Griffon slightly yelled at the entity for being so pessimistic.

She looked at him and gave him a meaningful glance. “There is,… an alternative.”

Griffon and Nico’s eyes widened as they looked at each other in utter surprise.

“And it all depends on one.” The entity finished.

“One what?!” Both Nico and Griffon questioned, to which they were just ignored as the entity glanced back at the weather outside.

“By then, the past shall still weep but, not for long, the present shall forever kneel but, the future,… may no longer die. That is,… a nice thought. If only,…”

“If only,… ?” Nico asked in an attempt to keep the entity talking.

However, the strange creature remained silent as she watched every single drop of the rain.

“It has been,… a long time since I watched the rain.” She quietly said, her voice as gentle and calm as possible. “It is so calm, so peaceful. A fitting start to an end.”

Nico sighed. They never truly heard something positive from her other than her proposed plan B, which was still very vague, much to their distaste.

“I’m afraid I’m keeping your friend.” The entity told them. “I must go, for her strength must be replenished.”

“WAIT!”

Both the entity and Nico looked at Griffon, surprised at what he just blurted out.

“Speak, creature of the night.”

“I, ahh,…” Griffon began, unsure how to bring up the Dreadnought issue. “I just wanna know, is,… is (Y/N) an, ah, err, an,… ah, how to say this?”

“Just spit it out, Chickee!” Nico blurted out, crossing her arms once more.

“Is (Y/N) an enemy? I just wanna know.” And just like that, the words were finally out from him like removing a thorn piercing his heart.

“ENEMY?! WHAT ARE YOU - ?!”

“I see.” The entity said. All of a sudden, her body was engulfed with light, like she was catching on fire. “It entirely depends,… on the beholder.”

And with those final words, the entity vanished, leaving behind her vessel.

Your eyes were closed shut, and when you finally opened them, you were surprised to see both Nico and Griffon staring at you with open mouths.

“Did I just do something weird?” You asked them, which made them convinced that you did not remember everything that just happened.

“No!” Nico answered with a nervous laugh.

“That’s it! I just gotta tell V that she’s not an enemy, right?!” Griffon said to himself, entirely forgetting that you and Nico could totally hear him.

“What are you talking about?” You asked him.

“Ah! Nothin’ ! Gotta go!”

“Wait!”

And, just like that, the demonic bird flew away, his strange words and behavior making him even more suspicious.

***

_ **“I will wait for as long as it takes. I only ask for one thing: don’t forget about me.”** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Nico  
Nero  
Griffon
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Galatea  
Andromeda  
Cassandra
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Sitti Navarro - Invisible War


	19. Change Of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Griffon and Trish convince V to change his mind regarding an irrevocable decision.

_As days passed, I noticed the distinct differences between the three girls._

_Cassandra, being the eldest of the three, was the calmest and most caring of them, like a real mother. She took care of her sisters in a motherly fashion, and she was the one who often helped me around, doing some of the chores for me. She was, simply put, the most talented of them. She was really good at singing, painting, and she was a very graceful dancer. Her stunning beauty mesmerized those fortunate enough to see her, yet, she remained humble despite all of her qualities._

_Andromeda, the second child, however, was the complete opposite of her elder sister. Not in beauty, of course, for she was as equally stunning as Cassandra, herself. She sings, she paints, and she dances, and yet not as graceful or as skillful as her sister. Her true skill lies in being the protector of the family whenever my beloved was away on a mission. Wielding a powerful sword called the Rebellion, she could take on a horde of Demons as easily as lifting a single finger. Not to mention the way she radiated blinding light that disintegrated all evil. And sometimes, her sister’s precious embroidery._

_Galatea, on the other hand, was not as talented as Cassandra, and not as good in combat as Andromeda. Being the youngest of the three, and the most silent one, she tend to stay away from her sisters. She was a very shy and endearing girl, and also the smallest. She would sometimes watch my beloved as he trained with Andromeda, and would admire my violin playing from a distance._

_Being a girl who cannot express herself freely, I made an initiative to bring out the best in her, to make her enjoy the simple things in life. I taught her how to play the violin, and read to her some poetry. She particularly loved the poet named William Blake. I sang to her lullabies, her favorite was the Cradle Song. She would always hug me and tell me that she loved me in that lovely little voice of hers. She was,… a true angel._

_After that, just like any other normal girl, she started to enjoy everything around her._

_Weeks passed since then. My husband showed Galatea one of his weapons, the Yamato, to which, for an unknown reason, she grew attached with. She can’t wield the weapon, herself, for it stood taller than her diminutive form. Nonetheless, he let her keep it for a while._

_For endless days and nights, she guarded it, sometimes poking a finger at it while it was on display on its pedestal in the living room, or just staring at it with her hands on her chin, like a girl in awe of an expensive doll. She really took a strange liking to the Yamato._

_Then, one day, as the three girls played in the garden, Cassandra stopped moving._

_She looked at me and uttered,…_

_“Mama, they are coming.”_

_I rushed to her side and gently grasped her shoulders._

_“Who are coming?”_

_She looked at me with her large, dark eyes and said in a low voice._

_“Ice and fire. Night and day. Moon and sun,…_

_… twins. They are coming, mama.”_

***

“V! V!” Griffon called his master as he flew towards him. “VVVEEE!”

“What have you found out?” The man, who was sitting on one of the boulders, asked with not much of an interest.

The rain have finally ceased, and the evening was fast approaching.

So were the Demons.

Shadow woke up from her slumber as Griffon rested on his left arm.

“She’s not the enemy!” The bird announced confidently.

“How can you be so certain?” The man inquired, his deep green eyes and his voice never betraying any of his emotions.

“Ah,…” the bird stuttered. He can’t exactly tell V about your entities, right? How would he react to it? And what if he tells him that and he assumes that it’s proof of you being the Dreadnought?! “Trust me. She’s not.”

V sighed in disappointment. “So, you have not discovered anything about her.” He closed his book shut and hid it. He grabbed his metal cane and let Griffon follow him as he walked away. “What a shame,…”

“Listen, V.” The bird argued, wanting the man to listen to him. “Why do you have to believe everything that Fleminger guy told you? Come on! You’re better than this! You never trusted anyone! It has always been you, me, the kitty, and the rock dude! Just the four of us! Besides, how can you trust anyone who knows your **half and half **secret, huh?!”

“The point is?”

“My point, my dear Princess, is to not trust anyone and listen to what I have to say!”

“So, you’re saying to not put my trust in (Y/N), as well?”

“NO! I,…” Griffon began stuttering, a bad move on his part, since it was a telltale sign that he was absolutely lying.

A trait that was well - known by V, himself.

“I see.” V answered. “It seems we have a manipulator in our midst. I will do the spying, myself. And once the truth comes out, then.”

He left his sentence there, giving Griffon enough reason to fear his next moves.

“No, V! You can’t be serious. You can’t do this to her! **She loves you! (Y/N) loves you**,…”

“Which is enough reason for me to suspect her.” V glanced at Griffon behind him, his facial expression dark and ominous. “After all, what fool is worthy of anyone’s love? Unless, she wanted something from me other than my feelings.”

“You’re wrong, V! You - ”

“And what did I say about me calling me **that**? I believe we have a clear understanding with that,… ”

“Ahh! I didn’t call you **Princess**! Ihh! Ah, don’t pluck my feathers, please.”

“Back. Now.”

“Yes, Master.” The bird sadly and helplessly relented as he went back to being V’s tattoos, leaving behind Shadow, who remained ever faithful to him.

During his solitary time away from the rest of the crew, V had the chance to mull things over.

To think and sort through his real emotions regarding you.

Yes, he found you very beautiful, very graceful, especially the way you moved and danced,…

… but, that scent of yours? It simply drove him to madness most of the time. If it weren’t for the strength of his mind, he might have fallen for your trap a very long time ago.

Trap. Was everything about you a mere trap?

Did you really love him like what Griffon just said?

Were his feelings for you a mere manifestation of your evil powers taking a toll on him?

He wanted so much to believe that he truly adores you. He wanted to believe that he fell in love with you for simply being you and not for another, deceitful thing.

He wanted to be happy with you, to be together with you,…

… to experience every moment with you.

After that interesting conversation he had with you about traveling, hell, he wanted to do it with you! To go to different places, to experience life,…

… to settle down,…

But, it seemed that everything was a lie, for Griffon surely found out something that was truly noteworthy regarding you. He just chose not to share it with him.

And for what reason? Griffon’s also a Demon. For all he knew, he might as well be bewitched by you and your fraudulent scent.

And it really made him believe the credibility of Fleminger’s words.

Despite that, he wanted clues. Two, one, he didn’t care how much. A small part of his being that was shouting at him ever since that talk he had with the Master wanted to believe in you.

That small part wanted so much to prove him wrong,…

And for that, he needed a sign, anything,…

He must talk to Dante.

All of a sudden, Shadow became tense, baring her fangs at something in front of them.

Then, V heard it: the sound of combat not far from where they were. He rushed to where the sounds were, and there, just on the other side of the road, was Trish, the Bewitching Devil, fighting against four Nobodies - Demons of unspeakable form and menacing powers, and five Riots - Demons of pure, brute strength.

And she looked like she needed help, even with her natural power as a Devil and her weapon, the Devil Sword Sparda.

“Let’s go.” V commanded Shadow as they jumped in to help her.

Meanwhile, Trish, despite her strength, was easily being overwhelmed. She dodged, jumped, and fought back, but, these Demons? It’s as if they gained a whole new level of strength.

Like, something was controlling them.

Was it Shinano Musashi, the Dreadnought?

Just when fatigue was starting to take a toll on her, a black mass landed before her, morphed into a volley of spikes, and skewered a Riot that was charging towards her. The Demon’s color changed from dark to pale, and when it finally stumbled on its feet, a familiar metal cane materialized above it, followed by V, himself, who teleported just in time to put an end to it.

The Demon instantly disintegrated, leaving behind traces of its blood on both the man and the ground where he stood.

He looked at her with determination in his eyes. “I’ll take care of these Riots. You take care of the Nobodies.”

Trish smiled at him. “You don’t need to tell me.”

With weapons and dark familiars at their disposal, the two Devil Hunters fought with grace, finishing Demon after Demon with such flourish. And when only one enemy was left on the battlefield, V snapped his fingers, summoning the golem that came down from the sky like a meteor and turning his hair white.

The golem called Nightmare let out one massive beam of violet light that annihilated everything in its path, bringing down the last Nobody.

V ran, climbed Nightmare with ease, and jumped, raising his metal cane and summoning numerous blue blades that came down on the Nobody, finally putting an end to it. He called Nightmare back, letting it dissolve on the ground, and reverting his hair to black.

Trish smiled and clapped at him. “You sure are a show - off, V.”

V only smirked as he tapped his cane on the ground. He took out his book, opened it, and read a single passage.

“**_I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand till we have built Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land._**

"So it is written.”

V closed the book and hid it back.

Trish only nodded at what he just said and leaned on the massive sword.

“That’s very dedicated of you but,” she told him. “… you know Dante’s gonna beat you to the Dreadnought. You know, he hasn’t left the northern part of the city since Saturday - ”

“Dante would never find the Dreadnought there.” V cut her off, startling her and confusing her at the same time.

And just like that, he walked pass her like nothing happened.

“What do you mean by those words, V?” Trish inquired, bringing her hand heavily on his shoulder. “Do you know something about the Dreadnought?”

“I do. More than what I desire.”

Trish’s eyebrows furrowed. She took the man’s wrist and started dragging him towards the opposite direction.

A few minutes later, V found himself in an abandoned hotel with the beautiful woman. She wanted to talk with him undisturbed in private.

“You have to tell me, V.” She began. “What else do you know about Shinano Musashi?”

V smirked and leaned against a wall a safe distance away from her. Shadow, with wary red eyes and alert senses, lied down in front of him as if to guard him against the woman.

Griffon, who was still in ’**exile**’, remained hidden within V.

“From what I know, it could manipulate both lesser and higher Demons to attack.” V replied. “It uses its scent to lure the Demons and to make them obey its every command unconditionally.”

“Scent?”

“Yes. A distinct scent for each Demon, I daresay.”

His words may be full of contempt, however, as he began to partake of his knowledge with the woman who resembled his late mother, your face suddenly appeared in his mind.

And in his mind, he saw you crying, pleading,…

He brushed the thoughts of you away from his head and went on. “You should be careful. From what I know, you are not human in nature.”

“I will always watch over my back, thank you, V,…” Trish, who was still reluctant of believing V’s words, answered.

But, then, all of a sudden, a certain memory flashed through her mind like an unwanted reminder.

And in her mind, she saw,…

“I just remembered something!” Trish exclaimed, successfully gaining V’s attention. “There was this girl I met many months ago. She has this,… particular scent,… that drew me towards her. Like a drug. She,… ” The woman mused, and when she finally remembered everything, her eyes widened in fear. “She used to live with Dante!”

“It is (Y/N).” V quietly confirmed. “She is the Dreadnought.”

“It can’t be! Why would she do all this? What is her motive? There must be some kind of a mistake!”

“Dante is a Demon just like you, although a half - breed.” V left the wall as he went closer to Trish. “Surely, you observed some kind of reaction from him.”

It was not a question. V just knew how to make people talk.

“Come to think of it,” the woman went on. “… there were times when he just couldn’t stop buying vintages whenever he has the budget to blow. And that,…”

“Yes?” V urged on, tipping his head to the side and covering one of his green, mysterious eyes.

“And that he was so attached to her. To the point where he broke up with his lover and followed her around like a, ah,… ”

“Like a mutt.” V finished for her in disgust. “Of course.”

“But, this is madness, V! We can’t just kill her without knowing the truth!”

“The truth,…” the man whispered, the grip he had on his metal cane getting tighter as Shadow tensed even more. “… has been staring us in the face all along. And she lives with us still, deceiving us like we are some fools in a circus show.”

“Hey!” Trish held his arms in an attempt to make him listen to her. “Remember what happened that Saturday night? She protected you against Dante! And don’t you forget that he’s in his full Devil form! She chose you despite everything that Dante did for her. She chose you!”

“Maybe because she got tired of Dante Sparda.” V spat back, voice full of spite because of his utter stupidity. “And she’s looking for someone more,… foolishly gullible,… to tire of next - ”

V suddenly found his face jerked sideways, his cheek hot in pain after it received a hard slap from Trish’s hand. He gave her a menacing look as Shadow growled at her.

“How could you believe those lies?” Trish questioned him, her voice trembling with too much emotion. “You are suspecting her of all these things without even knowing it from her first?”

“I,… TOLD YOU!” V finally snapped, unable to make the woman understand everything. “I WANTED TO SPARE YOU FROM HER DECEIT! I,… did not expect you to have fallen straight into her clutches.”

“I’m not falling for anyone. I know how to distinguish what’s truth and what’s not.” Trish took the Devil Sword Sparda with ease as she walked away from V. “I learned the hard way, believe me.”

“And it seems that you have not learned enough.”

“Enough of this, V.” The woman retorted. “Believe what you want to believe and hurt the woman who truly loves you. **Mark my words, V. You. Will. Regret this**.”

“I,… only wanted to be protected,…” V suddenly uttered in a calmer voice, preventing Trish from leaving. “… and loved. But, I have no choice. I have to survive. Then, I found her. She,… promised to protect me and to never leave my side. Finally, I felt protected and loved. And I learned to love her back,…”

The man looked at her with eyes full of hurt and emotion, which made Trish reluctant to leave him.

“But, I was mistaken. She is a deceiver, spouting lies in my face like a great actress. She must die. Evil must be destroyed!”

Trish sighed in dismay. She took a few steps back towards V and put the massive sword in between her and his angry demonic feline familiar.

“If you only have the ability to see through what’s really in front of you without regretting what’s happened in the past,” Trish told him. “… then you would surely not suspect her of such things. I only knew her for a short while, and from what I observed in her, she was only a harmless little girl, a normal person.

"Yes, she may have this ability to manipulate others but, I sure haven’t seen her display such a trait. Yes, I saw her use her power before but, only to protect those around her. I even heard from Dante that she took a fatal fire attack for him in order to save him. Does that sound like a girl who wants to murder people? Tell me, V, does that sound like a girl who wants to deceive you?”

Trish left the massive sword sticking to the ground as she went directly to the man, ignoring the angry feline. She held up a single hand, to which V instinctively looked away from as if expecting another round of her hard slap.

But, she only cupped his cheek as gently as she could, trying to make her point across.

The gesture achingly reminded him of his mother,…

“If you have any feelings left for her, then go to her, confront her if you must, then extract the truth from her without hurting each other in the process. Listen to the beating of your own heart, V. And you,…

… will understand what I’ am trying so hard to tell you.”

And with those final words, she smiled at him, grabbed her sword and walked away.

“Then, I shall make a strategic move that would not offend any side. Then, fix,… maybe right my wrong just now.” V said. “Was this fool before you right?”

Trish turned back to look at him and tipped her head to the side, letting her long blonde hair fall in gentle waves on her smooth shoulder.

“I’m not your mommy, V. You’re a big boy. And you have to see this through,… ” Trish answered, then before turning to finally leave, she exclaimed with utter conviction, “… your war with your own emotions.”

***

When V returned to Fleminger’s mansion, he found the trailer looking much livelier as music boomed from it. He walked towards it, his tired body longing so much for a home and his spirit desiring peace.

He opened the door and was met with two lively people preparing for dinner that looked much more like a feast than an ordinary meal.

“About time you arrived!” Nero excitedly said as he practically took V’s arm and dragged him inside. “We’re having a feast tonight!”

“What about our duties as Devil Hunters?” V asked as he was made to sit down on the sofa.

“We’re taking a break just for tonight.” Nico announced as she put a plate of pasta with white creamy sauce on the table in front of the poet. “And I finally fixed the jukebox! It would also be a shame not to put Fleminger’s supplies to good use and not have a party.”

“There are still Demons around,…”

“Nah, we can kill them tomorrow!” Nero gave his carefree answer as he sat back down next to V. “Bring out those pets of yours. We have enough food for everyone!”

At the mere mention of the word ’**pets**’, Griffon hastily materialized as he made his way outside the trailer. V sighed in dismay and summoned Shadow, who also quickly made her way to where Griffon just went.

“Where is,… _**she**_?” V warily asked Nero when Nico went to the back to get some more food.

“Oh, you mean (Y/N)? She’s just hanging around the place. You know, she misses you terribly. Kinda reminds me of Kyrie when I’m out on a mission for too long. When I finally come home, she just,… whoa! You know what I’m saying?”

“I’m just out for only half a day.”

“You don’t know anything about girls, do you, V?” Nero chuckled as he took his own plate of pasta and began eating.

“I know them,… quite well, thank you very much.”

“Hah! That statement of yours just now proves you’re still green with them.”

“And what exactly do you mean by - ?”

“Here’s what you must do!” Nero proudly announced as he leaned in closer towards V as if to whisper some well - guarded secret. “Confess to her!”

“Why? Did I commit some unspeakable crime?”

“What? I’m not talking about that! What I mean is, tell her how you feel already! Dude, this has dragged on for too long! You don’t want her to go back to Dante, do you?”

“Tell her,… how I feel about her?” V repeated, recalling Trish’s words to him.

_ ** If you have any feelings left for her, then go to her, confront her if you must, then extract the truth from her without hurting each other in the process. Listen to the beating of your own heart, V. And you,… ** _

** _ … will understand what I’ am trying so hard to tell you. _ **

“I’m not sure how to do that,…” V admitted.

“You just have to man up, walk straight to her, and tell her flat - out how you feel!”

“How would you do it?”

Nero cleared his throat, and in a seemingly theatrical way, he voiced out, “My dear love of my life, I declare to you my undying love! Or something like that.”

“That sounds too dramatically cliché.”

“Well, how would you do it? Look man, I only walked up to Kyrie and simply asked her to stay with me forever!”

“Was it you who said those words, or her? I think I recalled differently.” Nico interrupted as she went back with a huge plate of chicken lollipops. “Oh! I swear this is not little Chickee. **Griffon lollipops**, anyone?”

“Come on, man, you got this!” Nero cheered as he lightly punched V on the arm.

“Yeah, she’s been acting really weird since this morning.” Nico added. “Did you guys fight, or something?”

“I,…” V stuttered. Why was it so hard to speak about you?! “… no.”

“Then, confess already! Dude, all you have to do is walk to her and - ”

“I told him that already, Nico.”

“Whatever, psycho!” The woman sat on the opposite sofa and pointed a tattooed finger at V. “You both have no guts to say how you feel, it’s infuriating! It’s like watching two shy grade - schoolers learn how to flirt with each other! You two are such a pain in the ass!”

“Go to her now, man!” Nero urged on. “Before she plunges the world in total darkness!”

_How very accurate that was_, V thought as he stood up. “Where is she?”

“At the balcony.” Nico answered.

“Thank you.” V, in true gentleman style, uttered and went out, earning a triumphant smile from both Nico and Nero.

“Now, we wait.” Nico breathed as she took a chicken lollipop.

As V made his way towards the balcony, he heard you and Griffon laughing at a joke his loud familiar probably made. And when he arrived, you and the bird looked up at him, unsure how to react of his sudden presence.

“See ya, sweet pea.” Griffon said as he bid goodbye to you, going back to V without another word. Shadow, who was actually lying next to you and purring loudly, stayed behind.

“I see you have my companions under your spell.” The man began as he made his way towards you near the railing.

“Hardly.” You answered, trying to hide your excitement upon seeing him once more.

V, on the other hand, dreaded this encounter. What if he gets to be put under your spell for good?

“How are you doing?”

“ … good.”

“Oh.” You replied, sensing V’s coldness from his tone. “V?”

“Stop asking and just say it.”

You flinched at his words, your heart feeling like it was being sliced apart. “I just want you to know that I’ am here whenever you need me. An ear when you need someone to listen to you, and a shoulder for you to lean on when you have to let it all out. I promised to stay with you, after all.”

He did not answer, instead, you saw how the man sighed as his eyebrows furrowed. Feeling driven to a corner, you went on bravely.

“I wish I could know what’s been bothering you since morning.”

“I’m only tired and busy. Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh. Is that,… so?” You answered, feeling your voice getting lower and lower as you felt yourself being pushed away by the man you love. “I,… don’t have to worry, then.”

He let out another sigh, which led you to leave the railing and make your way back to the trailer. For it seemed like he doesn’t want to talk to you, at all.

“I missed you, V.” You told him, suddenly feeling weak in the knees. And you could almost feel the tears coming. But, you can’t let him see you like this. “I missed you so badly it hurts.”

And with that, you left him on the balcony.

What you told him about you missing him was the truth but,…

… did he miss you, too? Especially now that he had enough reason to murder you?

Your scent of fresh flowers blooming in the morning have never felt so alluring, it actually hurt him not to go to you and take all your sadness away.

But, just like that. He let you go.

He,…

… let you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Griffon  
V  
Shadow  
Nightmare  
Trish  
Nero  
Nico  
You ( Reader )
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Cassandra  
Andromeda  
Galatea
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Nobody  
Riot


	20. Tears And Sadness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ No amount of mantras or motivational words from your friends could save you from your own tears and sadness,...
> 
> ... and the inevitable fate that awaited you,...

_“Fire and ice. Night and day. Moon and sun. Twins. They are coming, mama.”_

_Was dear Cassandra’s prophecy._

_Nine months later, Vergil and Dante came to our life. Finally, the gods have answered our prayers. And so, our happy family just became bigger._

*

_The moment she laid eyes on him, Andromeda took a great liking to Dante. She always played with him, made him laugh, and when he got a bit older, she started showing him how she trained with the Rebellion. She told him a lot of stories of her adventures with the mighty sword. She influenced him too much that he was starting to grow just like her - courageous and strong, both in will and in body._

_And as he grew up with Andromeda, Dante became attached with the Rebellion, as well, and the aspect of slaying Demons with it. More so than her that he begged his father for him to have it. And he relented, saying that he could have it at the right time. A few years later, the two started training together. There never was a pair so perfectly matched and balanced than those two._

_Vergil, on the other hand, grew up very differently from Dante. While he was equally strong in both will and in body just like his younger brother, he was wiser than him. Much more than most children of his age._

_And during those years of growth, he was watched over by none other than the shy and gentle Galatea._

_As soon as he was born, the Bearer of The Past stayed with him. She told him lots of stories, read to him William Blake’s poetry ( he took a great liking to the poet’s Book of Urizen ), and sang to him sweet, sweet lullabies. And above all, she showed him unconditional kindness and gentleness. Just like what I did for her when she was a bit younger. The love I have for her extended to him._

_Galatea loved Vergil. So much that she pledged her own life to protect him._

_Andromeda for Dante and Galatea for Vergil,…_

*

_However, during those years of the twins’ growth, Cassandra has become a bit of a recluse. She rarely spoke, rarely ate, and she doesn’t play with her younger siblings anymore. She often isolated herself from us, always watching us from afar._

_I tried to speak with her, to convince her to open up, and she would only sigh and glance at me with those dark, sorrowful eyes._

_As years went by, she became more and more distant, she, herself, becoming a different person, altogether._

_She would watch the weather outside, and would stare for hours when it rained or stormed. Her sisters, including the twins, convinced her to be with them, to no avail._

_Then, one day, when my husband spoke with her, she simply broke down and cried. She was,… pleading with him, for an unknown reason._

_For one last time, she begged him,…_

_… and on that night, he left us, just like that,…_

_And Cassandra? She locked herself in her room and cried day and night. I managed to convince her to let me in, to tell me everything she knew._

_And that’s when I finally found out,…_

_… the inevitable,…_

*

_Vergil, Dante, if you are reading this right now, the Demons might have already killed me. But, do understand that I did it to protect you, to keep you away from your father’s enemies._

_But, I beg you, please! Do not hate your father. He has a fair reason to leave us. Cassandra told me everything. It has to happen._

_You two are the only family I have left. Please, protect each other, have each other’s backs. Use the weapons your father gave you, the Yamato and the Rebellion._

_Then, find the sisters of Fate. Find Cassandra, Andromeda, and Galatea. They will lend you power - the power to defeat the true enemy. No matter what those people say about them, they are not the enemies. Do not believe them. You need these girls, as much as they need you. They need your help, as much as you need theirs._

_And finally, I love you so, so much, my sons. Forgive me for everything._

_Vergil and Dante, I love you, so much._

*

**This journal was owned by Eva Sparda.**

** The Sisters of Fate mysteriously vanished after the demonic attack in Red Grave. **

**Dante survived the ordeal and used a different name to conceal his true identity from Sparda’s enemies.**

**Vergil, like the Sisters of Fate, vanished that evening.**

**This is Eva’s final journal entry.**

***

You were staring at your own trembling hands, your body feeling tense all over.

The Aspect of The Future has finally shown you how to fulfill the wish.

After so many years of searching, of longing to see that white - haired man in your visions, it has finally come to this,…

You knew that you will be successful in your mission, yes.

But, deep inside your aching heart, you don’t want to do it.

You were so afraid and so confused. You want to shout at the universe, to tell each and everyone who lived in it how unfair your life was. You believed you would have your precious, happy ending. You honestly, achingly, believed that you would be with this man.

But, alas, you were wrong.

For your life, ever since that night you were taken over by the entities that saved you countless of times, belonged to them and to this man, and has never been yours.

And this life you had, you knew you must offer.

You knew everything was inevitable, and, yet, God! You don’t want to die just yet. You want to live! You want to live longer,…

*

** _Four days prior_ **

*

Nico and Nero found out, without you even telling them, how V didn’t confess to you that evening.

And since then, you two have become even more distant with each other.

Especially V. He stubbornly refused to take breaks, volunteering to do extra rounds of Devil Hunting even if he didn’t have to. Even if he looked like he was about to collapse at any given moment. He worked his familiars to the bone, which was very evident with Griffon’s complaints. He rarely showed himself to the rest of the crew, and when he did, he never really paid any attention to all of you.

Especially you. He avoided you like the plague, he never even bothered to look at you. And during those times when you had no choice but to lock eyes, he just looked at you with those empty green ones of his, devoid of his usual warmth towards you.

He has become a different person, altogether. And you didn’t understand why.

** _“Well I’ve heard there was a secret chord_ **

** _That David played and it pleased the Lord._ **

** _But you don’t really care for music, do you?_ **

** _Well it goes like this:_ **

** _The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift,_ **

** _The baffled king composing Hallelujah!_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!_ **

That afternoon the next day, V simply went out of the van without saying a word. Nero shook his head in disbelief and faced you as you sat on the sofa, listening to that dreary song on the radio.

** _"Well your faith was strong but you needed proof._ **

** _You saw her bathing on the roof,_ **

** _Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya._ **

** _She tied you to her kitchen chair,_ **

** _And she broke your throne and she cut your hair._ **

** _And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah!_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!_ **

"Hey, you okay?” The youth carefully asked you as he kneeled in front of you. He sensed your pain, and he hated to watch someone like you suffer in silence - because he knew you did not deserve any of it.

You made an effort to smile at the person who was worried about you, and yet your eyes remained the same - dull, lifeless, melancholic,…

** _“But baby I’ve been here before,_ **

** _I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor._ **

** _You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya._ **

** _And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch,_ **

** _And love is not a victory march._ **

** _It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah!_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!_ **

"Other than my heart slowly falling apart, yes, I’m fine.” You sincerely admitted to the boy, knowing full well that it would do you no good to hide your emotions from him.

Nero’s eyebrows furrowed as he sighed in dismay. He held your hands and squeezed them as gently as he could. This simple, yet thoughtful, gesture of his made you emotional once more, and with a herculean effort, you held back the tears that longed to pour out since yesterday morning.

“Kyrie bakes the best apple pies in the world, no shit.” Nero told you, his voice as calm and as gentle as possible.

“I won’t argue with that.” Nico agreed as she sat next to you and wrapped a single, protective arm around you. “Kyrie’s pies are simply the best.”

Nero smiled at her. For once, they weren’t arguing. “When this is all over, I’d like you to come live with us in Fortuna for a while. I’m pretty sure Kyrie would love your company.”

“Oh, I would love to. Thank you, Nero.” You answered with a simple nod.

“And, ah,…” Nero held up his shiny new Breaker made from the materials that Nico got from the Electric Furies that you fought last Saturday, showing you its powerful fist. “… if you want, I can teach V a lesson or two. I’ll even offer it free of charge. Just say the word.” He graciously offered, then winked at you, his charmingly boyish smile making you giggle.

“Oh, you don’t have to but, I’ll think about that offer of yours.”

“There you go!” Nero cheered for you as he playfully bumped his metal fist against your cheek, making you laugh. “That’s it! You look nicer with that smile on your face. I can’t wait to introduce you to my Kyrie.”

“And I can’t wait to finally meet her.” You replied as you glanced at both him and Nico, the two people who never left you and stayed with you through this hard time. “I only knew her from Nico’s many awesome stories about her but, I haven’t actually met her personally.”

“Yeah, but first, we have a Dreadnought to kill. Time to move on, Nico!” Nero said as he stood up. He nodded at her, saluted at you playfully, and finally left.

“What does that supposed to mean?”

“Like that. It’s time to move on.” Nico answered as she went straight to the driver’s seat, sat down and fastened her seatbelt. “Honey, let’s not wait for the grass to grow! Let’s go!”

You hastily went to the passenger’s seat and fastened your own seatbelt. Nico nodded, and started the trailer,…

** _“Well there was a time when you let me know,_ **

** _What’s really going on below._ **

** _But now you never show that to me do ya?_ **

** _But remember when I moved in you,_ **

** _And the holy dove was moving too,_ **

** _And every breath we drew was Hallelujah!_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!_ **

"HANG ON TIGHT!” Nico shrieked as she drove the trailer past the ballroom towards the balcony where you had that last, painful conversation with V,…

… where you first met the man who was the cause of all your pain and everything else,…

… where you danced your first and last waltz with the man you loved and achingly missed,…

… where you met the love of your life,…

… where you saw your future.

“NICO, WE’RE GONNA CRASH THAT BALCONY!”

“THAT’S THE POINT!” Nico answered with a wild smile on her face. “WE HAVE TO MOVE ON, RIGHT?!”

And just like that - she drove through the remains of the glass that separated the ballroom and the balcony and made your way towards the railing,…

** _“Maybe there’s a God above,_ **

** _But all I’ve ever learned from love,_ **

** _Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya._ **

** _And it’s not a cry that you hear at night._ **

** _It’s not somebody who’s seen the light._ **

** _It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah!_ **

"AAAHHH!” You shrieked as Nico drove straight through the railing, destroying everything in her path, marble, pillar, and all, and made the abused vehicle fly in mid - air,…

** _“Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!_ **

You seriously thought that you’re going to die. The ground looked far ahead, the things inside the vehicle that weren’t attached flew as you went down, down, down towards who knew where,…

** _"Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!_ **

”(Y/N), WHAT DO YA REALLY FEEL ABOUT V?!“

** "I LOVE HIM! OH, GOD, FORGIVE ME! I DO!” **

“THEN, TELL HIM!”

“WHAT?!”

“SLOW DUMBASS! IF HE CHICKENED OUT ON YA LAST NIGHT, THEN IT’S UP TO YA TO DRAG HIS ASS BACK HERE AND MAKE HIM STAY FOR GOOD!”

“I DON’T GET IT!”

“SLOW! DUMB! ASS! CONFESS TO HIM!”

“AAAHHH!”

** _“Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah,_ **

** _Hallelujah!”_ **

Just when the vehicle was about to land, you closed your eyes, feeling as if your whole world would end.

You felt everything around you quake violently, and when you could no longer feel the wild tremors, you opened your eyes and saw a breathtakingly - brand new scenery where the sunlight shone through every last picturesque structure.

Nico and Nero were, indeed, correct. Perhaps they felt that your old base was stifling and harsh.

Perhaps you just needed a breath of fresh air, along with a cleaner, more positive view of the outside world.

“Go get the guy, hon.” Nico ordered you as she bumped your shoulder.

“What if he didn’t listen to me?”

“Then, try again. And don’t stop until he listens to you.”

“And what makes you so sure this is gonna work?”

The artisan winked at you as she gave you a knowing smirk. “He loves you, too. I know. He’s obvious.”

“Is that so?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “You really are slow, aren’t you?” She clapped her hands and spoke once more. “Go! Go! There are Demons to kill! The boys are out! No one’s gonna see you transform! Except V. Let him see you do it. And while you’re at it, tell him how you feel. He won’t resist you by then. And that’s your last resort! If it doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.”

“Okay! Okay!” You answered as you stood and took your weapons.

“Grab that pretty, skinny ass, woman!”

“Stop. Just, stop,…”

For four days straight, all of you did the same routine. V ( who had a really rough time finding the new location of the van ) was always the first to leave, followed by Nero ( who laughed so unapologetically hard when the poet finally arrived at the trailer about three hours late the next day ).

And you? You always leave after the boys.

During that short time, you got used to the habit of leaving “**after the boys**” that it has become second nature to you.

And during those times of lonely Devil Hunting, you hoped and prayed that V would show up. As you sliced flesh after Demon flesh, you even envisioned yourself confessing to him. You would first apologize, then tell him how you missed him. After that, you could see yourself saying those words to him.

And then, you would simply smile at the nice and positive thought.

Yes, your situation with V as of the moment looked very dreadful. But, deep inside your heart, you knew that everything’s going to be just fine.

** _ Everything’s gonna be alright. _ **

It has become your ultimate mantra.

You were reciting it four days after you “moved on” as you killed a Demon, when, all of a sudden,…

_“… find me when the time comes.”_

You heard a soft voice inside your head. You closed your eyes, feeling the entity inside you take over as it began showing you visions.

The moment you were transported to a different place, this time, to a house that was seemingly burning, you saw yourself touching a sword and whispering to it, pleading,…

“Our fates are connected. Our bond will remain unbreakable. Whatever happens, the Yamato will always bring us closer. Find me when the time comes, and then,…”

Just then, the door burst open, and some menacing creatures entered with all the intention to murder you.

You grabbed the sword and held it high in an effort to guard yourself against the Demons.

“I will wait for as long as it takes. I only ask for one thing: don’t forget about me,…

… Vergil.”

_ ** Vergil,… ** _

Everything became blurry, and when everything cleared up, you saw her face once more - the woman who always haunted your dreams.

“Please, find him and save him before it’s too late! Protect him at all cost. Save him from his death!” She begged you once more. “I’ am so sorry, my dear. Fulfill my wish, I beg you,…

… Galatea.”

** _ Gala,… tea? _ **

You reached out a hand but, you were too late. She was ripped open by the Demons around her.

Yet, despite that you could still hear her voice inside your head.

_ **“I’ am deeply sorry for hiding this for too long. Vergil is dying and you are the only one who could save him. But, in order to do it, you must offer your life,…** _

** _… willingly,…_ **

** _… only then can he fully revive and defeat his enemies._ **

** _Forgive me, dear (Y/N). Forgive me.”_ **

You opened your eyes in utter shock. However, despite the fact that you just escaped from that unspeakable vision, you were horrified to find yourself in another one wherein you were looking at a pair of bloody, golden eyes,…

** _“This,… is what f - friends are f - for,…”_ **

You were given no rest as you suddenly found yourself being sucked into another vision and saw yourself running endlessly away from something truly horrific. The thing which wounded those majestic eyes,…

** _ “Why?!” _ **

Feeling tired and beaten to the bones, you stopped, only to hear a familiar voice that whispered to you,…

** _“What evil lurks, I must destroy!”_ **

You felt a sharp pain in your chest, like you were being stabbed. Just like that dream you had,…

But, it wasn’t the only pain you felt.

You felt hopelessness, melancholy,

… and above all, heartbreak,…

** _ “Why?!” _ **

You jolted from your fearful visions, feeling all your tears pour out.

And who could blame you?

You just saw everything, and you finally have all the answers.

You were staring at your own trembling hands, your body feeling tense all over.

The Aspect of The Future has finally shown you how to fulfill the wish.

After so many years of searching, of longing to see that white - haired man in your visions, it has finally come to this,…

You knew that you will be successful in your mission, yes.

But, deep inside your aching heart, you don’t want to do it.

You were so afraid and so confused. You want to shout at the universe, to tell each and everyone who lived in it how unfair your life was. You believed you would have your precious, happy ending. You honestly, achingly, believed that you would be with this man.

But, alas, you were wrong.

For your life, ever since that night you were taken over by the entities that saved you countless of times, belonged to them and to this man, and has never been yours.

And this life you had, you knew you must offer.

You knew everything was inevitable, and, yet, God! You don’t want to die just yet. You want to live! You want to live longer,…

To fulfill her wish, you need to die,…

For him to survive and regain his strength, he must drive that sword through your heart.

For him to defeat his enemies,…

** _… V,…_ **

_ **… the one you truly loved and vowed to protect,…** _

** _… must put an end,…_ **

** _… to your life._ **

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Vergil  
Dante  
Sparda  
Eva  
You ( Reader )  
Nico  
Nero  
V  
Griffon
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Cassandra  
Andromeda  
Galatea
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah


	21. Rejection And Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It takes a strong heart to love, but it takes an even stronger heart to continue to love after it's been hurt."

** _“Lo, a shadow of horror is risen,_ **

** _In eternity! Unknown, unprolific!_ **

** _ Self - closed, all - repelling: _ **

** _What Demon hath form’d this abominable void,_ **

** _ This soul - shudd'ring vacuum? _ **

** _Some said ‘It is Urizen’, but unknown, abstracted,_ **

** _Brooding secret, the dark power hid.”_ **

_“Vergil, are you sure you want me to read this?” The girl asked the little boy one fine morning in the beautiful garden. “We’ve read this lots of times.”_

_The little boy looked up with pure, innocent eyes. “It is Urizen! Urizen!”_

_“I know, I know,…” Galatea answered, helpless in front of the sweet child. “Okay, I’ll read it for you. But, you have to listen while I read about the Little Lamb! Or the Tyger, or,…”_

_“URIZEN!”_

_The girl sighed and opened the book once more._

** _“Times and times he divided, and measur’d,_ **

** _Space by space in his ninefold darkness_ **

** _Unseen, unknown! Changes appear’d_ **

** _In his desolate mountains rifted furious_ **

** _By the black winds of perturbation.”_ **

_“Gala - te - a!” The child cried as he ran to her._

_“What happened? Why are you crying?”_

_“Dante kicked me in the face!”_

_Galatea wrapped her arms around the boy and rubbed his back. “Sshh, it’s okay. I’m here now. I’m here. I will protect you,…”_

** _ “For he strove in battles dire _ **

** _In unseen conflictions with shapes_ **

** _Bred from his forsaken wilderness,_ **

** _Of beast, bird, fish, serpent, and element_ **

** _Combustion, blast, vapour, and cloud.”_ **

_“Vergil! Where are you? Vergil!” Galatea called as she desperately looked for the boy._

_But, instead, she found her mother lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Her own blood._

_“Mama! Mama,…” The girl uttered in shock, unable to believe that such a thing would happen to her._

_The woman smiled at her, her eyes glistening with tears. “Please, find him and save him before it’s too late! Protect him at all cost. Save him from his death!” She begged you once more. “I’ am so sorry, my dear. Fulfill my wish, I beg you,… Galatea,… ”_

_The girl reached out a hand but, she was too late,…_

_“MAMA!”_

_“SAVE HIM! FULFILL,… MY LAST REQUEST!”_

_ **“Your wish,… is our command,…”** _

***

You walked aimlessly around, wanting your enemies to find you. You waited for something to happen, anything at all, as you traversed that lonely and dangerous road.

Your heart filled with heavy and conflicting emotions, your eyes red with tears that silently fell non - stop, your head burdened with all the visions of the near future, you moved on, waiting for something else to happen.

Deep inside your heavy heart, you still longed for a sliver of hope, no matter how small,…

… you want to find him and tell him everything,…

But, it seemed that the man, himself, did not want to be found.

Or, did he?

V was observing you with keen, wary eyes as you aimlessly walked around. Like you, he was waiting for something to happen, anything at all, no matter how small.

But, unlike you, he was not longing for any kind of hope.

He was looking for one last proof to end all your lies.

There was nothing in his mind but your complete and utter destruction. So much so that he spied on you for four days without you knowing it. He had seen how you fight, how you moved, how you finished your enemies but, he knew that you have not revealed your true colors just yet.

And for that, something huge must happen - a larger, much stronger enemy. The type for you to use your true potential with.

And, it seemed that he didn’t have to wait for too long,…

You looked up, your eyes wide with anticipation. You felt and heard some movement, and surely enough, a group of scythe - wielding Demons appeared before you.

Three, six, twelve, eighteen, twenty - four of the same demonic species appeared, overwhelming you with their numbers.

V concealed himself quickly, not wanting to waste his energy by helping you. He watched you as you drew your rapier and shield in the form of a bow and a violin. You made your first move but, he saw it was too reckless. You managed to evade the first attack but, the second one landed a strong, direct hit right on your mid - section. The scythe - like arm of the Demon then extended, carrying you with it, and pinned you to a wall.

The poet resisted to help you still, watching as the Hell Judeca plunged its weapon deeper within you. He knew deep within his being that you would unleash your true power any moment now.

However, something truly weird, and yet, expected, happened. The moment the wind blew and your blood dripped on the ground beneath you, a strong scent of fresh flowers wafted through the air, confusing the enemies and making them freeze.

As soon as the strong scent reached V, he covered his nose in an effort to protect himself. Your alluring scent has never attacked him this effectively before, and it took all his strength and effort to prevent himself from going directly to you.

But, not the same could be said about the Demons around you.

To V’s utter surprise, he saw how the Demons kneeled in front of you, like you have just become their master.

His eyes widened in shock and his hand dropped from his nose and mouth.

It was all true. Fleminger was right, all along. You’re the Dreadnought!

On the other hand, you were so confused as to what just occurred before your very own eyes. The fearful Demons, which considered ending your life a bit earlier, all started worshipping you like you were their queen.

You looked down from your wound and realized it must have been your blood that drew them to you.

All of a sudden, an idea struck your head.

Despite your wounded state, you drew your weapon and started attacking the Hell Judeca that wounded you. It didn’t even flinch as you pushed the bow deep within its heart. The other Demons didn’t even react as it fell lifeless on the ground before you. They remained rooted to the earth, mesmerized by the mere sight and scent of you.

V watched intently as you finished the Demons one by one, none of which were doing anything to protect themselves. And as you were about to kill the last Hell Judeca, something roared not far from where you were, and a few moments later, a larger, much fiercer enemy came running towards you like a raging bull.

You tried to jump away but, your rapid blood loss was hindering your movements. Just as you were about to get mauled to your death, a dark being in the form of a volley of spikes rose in front of you, fully stopping the Demon and making it stagger.

With your blurry sight, you saw V as he landed gracefully in front of you, commanding both Shadow and Griffon to attack the enemy. And when it could no longer move from the series of hits it received from his demonic familiars, he plunged his metal cane deep within its flesh, finally putting an end to it.

Bloody and tired, V turned and looked at your pitiful form, looking cold and uncaring. Despite that look of his, he went directly towards you and caught you as you were about to collapse.

“V - v,…” you stuttered as you felt numbness taking over your whole body.

The man didn’t say anything. Instead, he lifted you effortlessly and carried you to who knows where,…

*

The next time you opened your eyes, you found yourself staring at the ceiling of Nico’s trailer. You slowly and carefully sat up straight, feeling the thick bandage wrapped around your stomach, and looked around.

Despite your glum mood, the sunny and cheerful weather outside greeted you as you made your way to the dashboard. You saw the time and date and sighed.

** _ June 15, 6:45 _ **

It was the expected date of the Dreadnought’s arrival.

And then, one thought came to mind - V.

Well, you still kind of promised to Nico that you would confess.

You had to do it. You had no idea how long you would last, so, it’s all, or nothing. After all, you’re about to face the Dreadnought in a few hours. You had to really do it, before anything bad befall you.

And you must say it now, before,…

You saw him there, standing outside of the van, calmly reading his beloved William Blake anthology. He was alone, and it was a perfect timing.

You inhaled deeply, actually expecting for the worse. Even despite your friend Nico’s reassurance that everything would turn out fine, you just could not shake off the foreboding feeling that this insane idea would end up with disastrous results.

But, then, you’re here with him now. There’s no use turning back.

V saw you in his peripheral vision as you made your way towards him.

Hiding his sigh, he asked in a polite and well - mannered way, “How can I help you?”

“I, uhh,…” You stuttered. “I wanted to tell you something.”

“Go on.” V answered, intentionally making himself uninterested in this conversation.

“I just wanted to say,… uhh,… thank you. For saving me earlier.”

“I always come when I can to help those in need.” He lied, for he didn’t want to save others, at all. Especially you.

He just wanted to be the one who would finish you.

Your chest felt heavier, your breathing more labored. Your lips trembled as you tried to say the words,…

“You are such a good person, and I,… I really like you,… for that,…”

And why was he not surprised? Of course! You’re a deceiver! And now, it looked as though you’re doing everything you can to win him for one last time.

But, it’s never going to work. V was dead set on his goal.

You took what courage and little confidence you had left and decided to pour everything out of your bursting chest.

“What I mean to say is, I really, really like you, V. I just thought I should let you know before,…” There! You finally said the words. But, before you could even begin to say the word 'Dreadnought’, he looked up from his book with a smile on his lips.

He left his spot and went slowly towards you, swinging his cane playfully.

At last! That smile! You missed his smile so much. You just ached to see it once more,…

“Those words you just uttered, were you certain about them?” He asked you, that strange smile still on his lips.

Your heart suddenly became heavier as nerves took over your whole system. Something was really wrong about V and how he smiled at you.

It didn’t look,… genuinely happy.

“Sorry?”

He just chuckled, like he was making fun of a child.

“Those feelings you have for me, I’m afraid we do not share them mutually.” He simply said without any difficulty.

_ ** He is,… breaking my heart?! ** _

“I see. Well, I just wanted you to know - ”

“But, that was not enough for you, yes?” Using his cane, he made you look up to him, propping your chin up to properly meet his piercing gaze. “You said I’m a good person, if I got it correctly.”

“Y - yes.”

“Then, I do feel obliged to tell you that I’ am not the person you seem to know. I’ am neither a good person, nor a hero you consider. **In fact, I’ am the villain of your story**.”

** _I’ am the villain of your story,…_ **

You heard that same line again from one of your unwanted visions,…

But, this time, it’s for real,…

“V?” You said helplessly, confusion and sadness taking over.

“And I, may I add, only helped you because you seem so,… **useless**. Why would you even take up this massive commission in the first place? You are not as half as strong as the weakest Devil Hunter here to begin with. You are just a weak human who relies on others for survival.”

“I,… ” You felt the tears wanting to pour out once more, feeling this endless torture wanting to break you until you could no longer retaliate.

** _ It hurts,… _ **

_ **V, I’m doing this for you! What I’ve been doing for ten years, I’m doing it all for you!** _

And he surely didn’t know your own reason for doing all of those, even though the pain you felt hiding all those things kept on piling up, higher and higher, until you could no longer contain the sadness.

Until you could no longer contain the tears of frustration and heartbreak.

And he didn’t stop there despite seeing the tears in your eyes.

It seemed like breaking your heart was not enough.

**_Oh, my,_** V thought sarcastically. **_How genuine that is. What a great actress! This girl deserves an award! What would it be? Shadow’s scratches? Too easy. Griffon’s thunder? He would refuse to do it._**

** _This cane? Hmm, a slow and painful death. I like it._ **

“You would only become a burden. I suggest you leave this place even before the first signs of the enemy.” He said, letting your chin go as he gave his final warning to you. He was about to walk away when he heard you call his name.

“I will not be a burden, V!” You helplessly said to him, tears streaming down your face. “I have to face this battle, please!”

“Apparently,” V said in a threatening voice as he turned back to look at you. He strode towards you like a predator, and you had to step back in fear of what he might do to you. “You are not only useless, but an imbecile, as well. If I were you, I would gladly take this chance to leave in order to spare my own life. Take it from me, it is better to run away.”

You could not say any more words to him. He completely broke you, and now, you just stood there, shocked, and a complete whimpering mess. He brought the tip of his cane down as forcefully as he could, summoning Shadow in the process as some of his tattoos vanished from his pale skin.

You looked as the great, dark Demon growled at you, something that made you even more heartbroken, for the huge cat, for some reason, used to purr quite loudly and shamelessly whenever you scratch her chin and ears as she laid down beside you.

“Now, we do not want bloodshed here so early on in the game. Leave. Now.” He warned for the very last time.

You had no choice but to turn away. From the Dreadnought. From your purpose.

From the man you have grown to love despite everything.

And as V made his way towards the north where the largest Demon awaited, he felt a strange kind of pain crawling underneath his skin. He looked at his hand,…

**… and noticed that it was crumbling,…**

V’s eyes widened in fear. He closed them, wanting to chase the hallucination away. He opened them once more and glanced at his hand,…

… it looked normal.

Griffon materialized and faced him.

“You,…” the demonic bird began. “YOU HAVE GONE DOWN TOO DEEP FOR ME TO SAVE YA!”

The poet only chuckled. “For what purpose must you save me, pray tell?”

“I’m sorry, V.” Griffon answered mournfully. “I’M BREAKING OUR CONTRACT! YOU’RE NO LONGER THE STICK SHAKESPEARE NOODLE I USED TO KNOW! YOU’VE BECOME DIFFERENT! YOU - ”

“By all means, go.” V chuckled, not caring in the least for his very first companion. “But, I do hope you are aware what will happen to you if you break the contract,…”

“I DON’T CARE! YOU’VE GONE FAR ENOUGH!” Griffon yelled, his golden eyes glistening with unspeakable pain. “YOU JUST HURT THE WOMAN WHO - ”

“Wanted to use me like a whore. Is that it?” V finished for him, his eyes and facial expression alike getting darker and more evil.

“FFFUUUCCCKKK YYYOOOUUU!” Griffon shrieked angrily as he flew up high, summoning all his powers to attack his former master.

But, he couldn’t,…

Despite everything, Griffon respected V. He knew he was only brainwashed by that Fleminger guy. And he needed someone to wake him up.

Griffon needed you to wake him up.

He withdrew his attack and calmed down. This made V cover his face and show a sick kind of psychotic mirth.

“Hahaha. Hahaha! HAHAHA! You make me laugh,…”

“You’re not worth it,…” The demonic bird quietly said, letting V laugh it off, and finally left him, breaking their contract once and for all.

And he sure wasn’t joking about it. V noticed how some of his tattoos vanished,…

Meanwhile, back in the trailer,…

“Hey, hey, sshh, it’s okay,…” Nico gently whispered to you as you let it all out on her.

You have been crying non - stop since V rejected you, and you didn’t care in the least how you looked.

If it was written that he must murder you in order for him to survive, it won’t hurt as much if he only had the same level of emotions for you!

But, no!

Again, you were wrong!

How stupid of you!

He already stabbed your heart, and fuck! It hurts!

It hurts so fucking much!

“I’ll go.” You told Nico. “I still,… h - have to g - go,…”

“Ya sure about this? You would surely not make it outta there alive. Not for gettin’ smacked by Demons.” Nico, who only recently found out about your fate, told you.

You looked up from the towel that Nico offered you to wipe your tears with.

“I know. I have accepted that ever since I decided to join. Nico, I know my fate, and I embrace it.”

“You know your fate but, not the dying bit, huh? That’s a bitchy move by your entities right there!”

“I don’t know. They must have a reason for keeping it from me until now.”

Your friend sighed.

“Still can’t tell him?”

“No. He doesn’t have to know.”

You glanced out of the window to see the massive thing floating in the sky towards the deserted city. You were sure that the others were already dealing with it as of the moment.

That must be the Dreadnought, then.

You sighed, inhaled deeply and exhaled almost angrily. You wiped your tears with the drenched towel one last time and madly slammed it on the table near you. You stood up, rubbed your nose with your arm in a very unlady - like fashion, took your weapons, and angrily faced the radio.

** _“Why does my heart go on beating?_ **

** _Why do these eyes of mine cry?_ **

** _Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?_ **

** _It ended when you said goodbye.”_ **

“TURN THAT FUCKING THING OFF!”

“ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!” Nico obliged as she did so hastily.

“Could you play something more upbeat for a change?!” You asked bravely, ready to face your own death. “Like, with no **heartbreaks**, or **rejections**, or **douchebags**, or what the fucking ever?!”

Nico gasped in fright. “Wow! Sailor - mouth Nero sure made an impact to you, huh, hon?”

“Just fucking do it!”

“Alright! Alright!” The freckled woman said and slammed the jukebox button on. “How about this?!”

Nico nodded. You have become angsty and mad, and at least that’s better than you moping around, tending to your broken heart.

“I’ll go, just like the usual.”

“Alone?” Nico asked.

“And after the boys.” You said with utter resolution. V may have rejected your feelings, but he would not dare reject your **_permanent, once in a lifetime offer of an insurance policy_**, and you damn well know it.

“Hey, come here.” Nico wrapped you in a tight hug all of a sudden. You really were dead set on dying now that she couldn’t help but be sad.

Then, the prophetic entity’s words came back to Nico’s head,…

** _“Would you weep, human?”_ **

** _“Uh, it depends,…”_ **

** _“You are strong and vigilant. Remain as such until the promised hour.”_ **

“I’m gonna miss you so much, hon.” Nico quietly said to you, still not letting you go. “You can always go back here when the going gets tough.”

You controlled the tears as it threatened to spill again.

Damn, you’re going to miss your only best friend in the world,…

“I’m gonna miss you, too.” You answered as you hugged her back with the same intensity. “Oh, God. I wish I had breakfast,…”

At the mere mention of a meal, something suddenly banged on the windshield of the trailer. The two of you looked to find it was only Griffon who somehow landed on the glass, wings spread and beak up.

“Chickee?” You mumbled as you opened the door and waited for the demonic bird to enter.

And when he finally did, boy, had he got something truly surprising for you.

“SWEET PEA! I’M DYING!” The bird whined.

“What do you want me to do?! I’m gonna die too, you know?!”

Griffon’s eyes widened. _**Of course, you would find that out,…**_

“CONTRACT! WE NEED A CONTRACT!”

“Chickee, I thought you’re V’s - ?” Nico asked when she was abruptly cut off by the bird.

“SHAKESPEARE AND I ARE OFFICIALLY THROUGH!” Griffon announced. “SWEET PEA, ARE YA GONNA ACCEPT OR WHAT?! V’S OUT TO KILL YA!”

“I KNOW!”

“THEN, MIGHT AS WELL WE DIE TOGETHER THAN ALONE!”

After a few agonizing moments later, you found yourself marked with the same tattoos as V’s, only a bit smaller and more subtle than his loud ones.

A proof that you and Griffon,…

“… we’re partners now!” The bird gleefully announced in your head, thinking about what the entity told him before.

** _“Remain true to your instincts. Even in the face of true danger.”_ **

“I don’t know what weird shit just happened but, I do sure feel better with you partnering for good.” Nico admitted as she crossed her arms.

“Yeah.” You answered. “I feel ten times better.”

Griffon materialized as the markings on your right arm vanished.

“FUCK YEAH!” The bird triumphantly screamed. “Hey, you know what, it felt somehow cleaner inside you than V’s,…”

“Whatever you say.” You answered as you walked out of the trailer for the last time. You looked at both Nico and Griffon, smiled, and screamed,…

**“LET’S DO THIS!”**

***

_Just before going with his sisters, Cassandra roamed around for a while inside the burning house. She knew exactly where Vergil was. But, she knew she was too late to go to him now._

_It was,… inevitable,…_

_She just have to do one last thing before going away to find a new vessel,…_

_… a disposable vessel that would carry them until the day they would reunite with Sparda’s blood._

_She looked up and spread her arms, her eyes brimming with tears._

_“Forgive me for what I have to do.” Cassandra said as she closed her eyes. “But, I have to do this in order to protect us. I pray you do not feel sorrow, for these memories shall return the moment we reunite.”_

_A strange kind of light emanated from her body as she said those words, and when she finally dropped her arms, she sighed._

_“Until we meet again,…”_

***

_ **The present** _

*

Dante stopped dead in his tracks. He was about to face the horde of Demons before the much larger and fiercer - looking Dreadnought when some words suddenly came up on his lips.

“**Andro,… meda,…**” The Devil Hunter mumbled under his breath. “**Cassandra,… Galatea,…**

… who,… are they again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Vergil  
Dante  
Eva  
V  
You ( Reader )  
Nico  
Griffon
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Galatea  
Cassandra
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Hell Judeca
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Skeeter Davis - The End Of The World


	22. He Who Loves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A person that truly loves you will never let you go, no matter how hard the situation is."

_“Jack is dead!”_

_“But, that is just a movie!”_

_“I know! Poor Rose!”_

_“I’m gonna take a shower. Wanna join?”_

_“As if!”_

_“You bought another painting?”_

_“Yes. And?”_

_“But, you already have that!”_

_“There is a fine line between Aphrodite and Io. Learn to see the difference.”_

_“What movie are you gonna watch?”_

_“Dracula.”_

_“But, you’ve seen that about twenty - ish times!”_

_“Twenty - six, to be exact.”_

_“Twenty - six?! Twenty - six freaking times?!”_

_“Dracula is my favorite movie! Got a problem with that?!”_

_“Watching it twenty - six times is problematic enough!”_

_“At least I don’t watch porn!”_

_“Hey, babe, will you be my girlfriend?”_

_“No.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because you rarely take showers.”_

_“If I take a shower now, will you be my girlfriend?”_

_“No.”_

_“So, will you join me instead?”_

_“NO!”_

One by one, memories of you flooded through Dante’s mind, reminding him of all the precious moments he had with you.

The way you dressed, the way you carried yourself,…

… your subtle mannerisms,…

Your eyes, your hair, your laugh,…

… your kindness,…

Dante’s shoulders slouched. He dropped the Empusa head on the ground as Balrog reached its limit. He looked up at the massive demonic mechanism in the sky, then back to the ground where the carcasses of the Demons he slew lay.

He closed his eyes and inhaled, his chest suddenly getting heavy.

Then, your voice came back to his chaotic mind.

_Dante,…_

At first, it sounded like a whisper. Subtle, soft, and like a gentle wind in his ears.

All of a sudden, your voice grew louder, sounding more and more like a moan.

A moan of pain and suffering.

_Dan,… te,…_

He opened his eyes, feeling the tears threatening to come out of them.

Instead of going directly inside the Dreadnought to end it once and for all, he hastily went towards the opposite direction, longing to see you,…

… just one last time.

_Dante,…_

_Dante,…_

Went your voice inside his head. The more you called him, the more his movements became rash and quick.

“(Y/N), wait for me,…” the Devil Hunter groaned, feeling absolutely sick in the stomach. “I’m coming,…”

Him hearing your voice like that, he knew something really bad was going to happen. And he couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling off his mind.

He needed to see you. He had to.

With every step he made and every path he crossed, memories came crashing down upon his heavy heart, making it harder and harder for him to control himself.

He heard your voice once more but, this time, he saw your tear - filled hurt eyes, like some heartless person managed to bring you down to such a degrading state.

At that painful vision, Dante finally lost it. Without so much as a little effort, he summoned all his strength and transformed to his Devil form. He spread his wings wide and darted into the sky in search of the person who needed him.

Of the person he loved above all,…

He searched with his weary, yet sharp, eyes, saw every inferior Devil Hunter in combat against the demonic horde the Dreadnought just brought, and spotted, right above that hill, the form he ached to meet the most.

He focused his gaze on his goal and flew hastily towards it with unbelievable speed.

“Hey, what’s that?” Griffon asked as he saw a blur of speeding red light flying rapidly towards the two of you.

You looked up, adjusted your gaze to the morning light, and realized who it was.

“It’s,… Dante,…” you mouthed breathlessly, unable to believe your own eyes. “But, why?”

“Sorry, sweet pea. Have to deal with this on your own!”

“Hey!”

But, you were too late. Griffon vanished, returning to you and making your new contract markings visible once more.

The man, or the Red Devil, landed right in front of you, annihilating everything beneath his feet and within proximity.

You covered your eyes to protect them from the dust and debris, and a few moments later, you felt yourself being wrapped with an extremely strong and warm pair of arms. You opened your eyes and saw the achingly familiar maroon jacket belonging to the man you pushed away a week ago,…

… for the man who just rejected you.

Dante embraced you like he never embraced anyone before: with complete and utter intensity, yet, with gentleness he didn’t know he had. He sniffed your hair and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that you were safe and unharmed,…

… until he smelled the faint scent of your fragrant blood coming from the bandage around your wounded stomach.

The man then grasped your arms as he looked at your mid - section, sensing your injury beneath your stained parka.

“You’re hurt.” Dante, with furrowed eyebrows, uttered with such pain in his voice.

“I,…” you were about to lie but, seeing it was futile, hesitated to do so. “I was.”

“What happened? Please, tell me.” The man begged.

You swore you would never cry again after what happened with V, and yet, seeing Dante worried about you like this,…

… you knew you’re going to bawl your eyes out again.

And at the mere thought, you could already feel your tired eyes stinging.

_What did I do to deserve all this torture?!_

“A Demon almost killed me,…”

“Then, withdraw from this battle! Please, I beg you! I don’t want to see you hurt like this! Please!”

“Dante,…” you whispered, cupping his face with your soft and gentle hands in an effort to calm him down. But, you knew he would never budge. “It would take,… much more than a demonic attack to hurt me. You know that.”

“What do you mean? (Y/N)?”

And then, he saw your eyes, your forced smile,…

… your tears.

Right then and there, he realized what just happened.

For almost a week, a thought has been bothering him about letting you go.

And now, it seemed that his hunches were proven to be correct.

“V DID THIS TO YOU.” He said, his tone almost sounding like a growl.

“Listen to me very carefully, Dante - ”

“**I LEFT YOU, EVEN IF IT HURTS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH HIM! AND LOOK WHAT HE DID TO YOU!**”

Dante became engulfed with the red glow that emanated from his body, enabling him to morph into his demonic form once more.

**This time, to murder the man who hurt you.**

**To end the man who started all of this.**

**The man,…**

**… who was the sole reason for that innocent kid to murder his own father without even knowing,…**

“Dante, listen to me!” You pleaded, throwing yourself in front of the horrific creature and wrapping your arms around him to calm him down. “No one has to get hurt! V doesn’t deserve this! Dante, please!”

The Devil, who was undeniably powerless before you, couldn’t even throw you away. “**HE HURT YOU! HE HURT THE WOMAN I LOVE!**”

You looked up, shocked at what you just heard.

All of a sudden, some memories flashed through your weak state of mind.

_“Hey, babe, aren’t you aware that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met?”_

_“I got nothing on Trish and Lady, I’ll have you know,…”_

_“And that I love you so much?”_

_“Oh, shut up, Dante. And stop making jokes, it’s not funny,…”_

“(Y/N), can’t you even understand?” Dante morphed back to his human form, his emotions getting the better of him. “**He doesn’t love you. ****WHO, IN THEIR RIGHT MIND, WOULD HURT SOMEONE THEY LOVE?! (Y/N), V NEVER LOVED YOU! AND HE NEVER WILL!**”

Despite the hurtful truth that he was trying to instill in you, you remained rooted to the ground, still embracing the Devil Hunter who truly cared about you.

“I know but, I have a duty to see this through.” You answered, your voice trembling with the tears that poured out of your already bloodshot eyes. “V needs me and I have to see this until the end!”

Dante cupped your face with his huge hands and made you look up at him.

“If you must, then I will let you go. Once more.” He replied, every drop of your tears painfully driving a nail through his already beaten heart. “But, swear to me that after all this, you will go back home. Back to me, where you really belong.”

As if your eyes never had enough of tears in one, single day. “You don’t understand,…”

“What I don’t understand is your blind devotion to that man! (Y/N), I love you! Even if you always poke fun at me for telling you. I love you!”

You gasped and sobbed, unable to control the fresh bout of tears that were coming out of your eyes.

_**Dante, you don’t understand!**_ You helplessly thought. **_Even if I swear to you, even if I want to, I will never be able to make it out of this alive! I’m going to die - !_**

“Dante, please - !”

But, your thoughts and words alike were silenced the moment he crashed his mouth unto yours, kissing you with such passion that you never knew he was capable of.

And at that moment, some more memories came back to haunt you.

_“Dante, how do I look?”_

_“Ravishing.”_

_“Okay, you can put those right over there.”_

_“How many more of these vases are you gonna collect, hm?”_

_“Dante, you need to stop eating pizza!”_

_“And why is that?”_

_“Because, it’s unhealthy! And,…”_

_“And?”_

_“And,…”_

_“So, if I stop, will you be mine?”_

_“NO!”_

_“(Y/N), I feel dizzy,…”_

_“You drank too much again,…”_

_“One kiss will make me feel better.”_

_“Oh, shut the hell up.”_

You held up both your hands and placed them against his chest in an effort to push him away but, he only tightened his hold on you, at the same time making his kisses more intense than ever before.

When he finally let you go to catch some air, you felt your head spinning with all the emotions and the memories that plagued your mind.

He brushed some tears from your face with his thumb as he made you look at him in the eye once more.

“Promise me you’ll make it through.” He told you with a much calmer tone. “Then, after all this, I’ll come and find you.”

“Dante, I - ”

“Okay, baby, let’s change it. I’ll come when you need me. I’ll rush to you as fast as I can. After this fight, we’ll come home, take a long bath, and stay in bed for as long as we want. I’ll be your home. I promise.”

Your heart ached for the kind man who sincerely adored you. As much as you wanted to accept his offer, knowing that he’ll never break his word, you had to accept that you would not survive this battle.

As much as you wanted to heal the wounds of rejection, you knew everything must end.

And finally, as much as you wanted to tell Dante everything, you just couldn’t. The truth would break the man’s heart, and he might actually murder V in the process.

You bowed down low and simply nodded, the simple, deceptive gesture making you utterly sick to the core. You feared that the man would see through your lie but, apparently, he didn’t.

“Alright. I’ll make this quick, then.” The man said, finally letting you go as he took some steps away from you. “I’ll see you soon.”

He would leave. He really was going to leave,…

“Dante!” You helplessly called, your conflicting emotions tempting you to just drop everything and tell him the truth.

“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll finish this battle as quick as I can.” The man said with a brave smile. He then saluted you as he morphed into his demonic form once again. “Adios!”

“DANTE!”

But, you were too late. He launched himself, flying away from you like the last thread of hope that just escaped your clutches.

** _It was the last time you saw him._ **

_ **“Don't look back.** _

** _ Don't regret. _ **

** _Time's falling out of these hands._ **

** _I'll let you leave me._ **

** _Go on, _ **

** _You know home is always inside your soul._ **

** _ All the light to bless your way. _ **

** _ Don't be afraid, _ **

** _And I'll be your home._ **

** _ In this time, _ **

** _ In this place, _ **

** _This moment is all we have._ **

** _And tomorrow we never know._ **

** _Every precious time,_ **

** _Let it go,_ **

** _ Somewhere away. _ **

** _You will learn, And you'll love, _ **

** _Forgive the past and you can move on._ **

** _All the distance _ **

** _You've come to a place._ **

** _Then you see that your home is away_ **

** _Now the sun is rising _ **

** _Lighting up your sky again brightly._ **

** _Every precious time,_ **

** _Let it go,_ **

** _ Somewhere away. _ **

** _You will learn, And you'll love, _ **

** _Forgive the past._ **

** _Go on, _ **

** _You know home is always inside your soul._ **

** _Where ever you go,_ **

** _Whatever you see,_ **

** _I'll be the place,_ **

** _And I'll be your home.”_ **

***

Dante landed just in time when Lady and Trish finished some Demons below the Dreadnought, itself.

“And he finally arrives.” Lady sarcastically said as she lazily leaned on her Kalina Ann.

“What? No guts to enter that ship thing?” Dante teased as he transformed back to his human form.

“It won’t let us.” Trish sadly announced, making Dante furrow his eyebrows in confusion.

“Meaning?”

“See for yourself.” Lady pointed at the Dreadnought’s entrance where some kind of a barrier made of light could be seen. “I tried shooting that but, I can’t destroy it.”

“Not even I can.” Trish admitted.

“Were you two just weak, then?” Dante asked them.

The Bewitching Devil rolled her eyes and shook her head. She then threw the Devil Sword Sparda to Dante. He caught it with ease, then glanced at her with an awkward smile.

“It only allows certain people to enter.” Trish informed him. “V just got through.”

At the sound of the man’s name, Dante’s veins threatened to pop. “HIM?!” He practically screamed.

“As easy as blinking an eye.”

“How could he even - ?!”

Lady sighed. “Well, you have the Sparda! Go after him, then!”

The Devil Hunter growled as he morphed once more. And with the powerful Sparda at his disposal, he flew towards the barrier, and was able to enter easily without even breaking a sweat.

“And there he goes.” Lady sighed as she saw the Devil disappear into the Dreadnought.

She sighed even more at the sight of the incoming horde before them.

“You sound bored.” Trish stated as she held up a single hand, summoning all her powers and making it light up. She balled it into a fist and a clear jolt of electricity ran through her whole body.

Lady shook her head. “What’s the fun in this? The real enemy is up there!”

Trish gave her a sideways glance. Ever since she had that talk with V, her mind had been in total shambles due to the confusion on who the enemy really was.

So, she just decided to let Dante handle everything by giving him the powerful sword, knowing that he’ll beat some sense out of V, who seemed to have learned nothing.

Not at all.

“Hey, the one who bags the most Demons gets treated to the salon.” Trish challenged Lady with a smile.

“Ohoho, no you don’t!” Lady smiled, lifting her weapon effortlessly in an acceptance of the challenge.

The two ladies charged forward, not letting a single Demon escape their clutches,…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Dante  
You ( Reader )  
Griffon  
Trish  
Lady
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Oikawa Rin - I'll Be Your Home


	23. He Who Fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ Nero takes the reins as he goes with you and Griffon to your journey towards the center of the Dreadnought

_“Hello?”_

“Kyrie, it’s me.”

_“Nero! Oh, thank God, you’re alright!”_

“How are things there?”

_“I’ve heard Fortuna’s in complete ruins now because of the Dreadnought and its horde. But, we’re safe here. You don’t have to worry about us.”_

“Glad to hear that.”

_“Yes.”_

…

_“Nero?”_

“Hmm?”

_“Is,… something bothering you?”_

“Ah,… nothing.”

_“Hmm,…”_

“Haha. It’s nothing. Really.”

_“Nero, I can tell something’s wrong, even if we’re thousands of miles apart. I love you, and you know you can always tell me anything. I’m here for you.”_

…

“Kyrie,…”

_“I’m listening.”_

“What will you do if,…”

_“Hmm?”_

“Well, let’s say you confessed your,… ah,… feelings for me.”

_“Yes. And?”_

“And,… ah,… I rejected you. Like, badly. Like, not even friend zone. What will you do?”

_“Hmm, to tell you the truth, I can’t imagine you doing that to me. But, if that happens, well,…”_

“Well?”

_“Of course, I would definitely get hurt. A lot. **Nothing hurts more than a special someone, a loved one, pushing you away from their life.** My heart would be shattered to pieces, and I would feel like my existence won’t matter anymore.”_

“Whoa! The existence part is too much!”

_“Ah, you don’t understand, Nero. Girls’ feelings are delicate. They may act tough but, deep inside, their heart is dying. No matter how much they struggle against the sadness, eventually it will come back and haunt them. It’s like a sickness, being heartbroken. And it’s very hard to heal.”_

“Oh. How do they, uh, cope? They can’t stay like that forever, right?”

_“Hmm, let’s see. With company. With friends who would never leave them. Who would stay for them, eat ice cream with them, and watch romantic movies with them. With honest people who would tell them that the right man would come for them in the right time and everything would be just fine.”_

“The right man? So, they’re just gonna make her forget that she loved - ”

_“ - a man who hurt and rejected her? Well, of course! He hurt her, so he doesn’t deserve her.”_

“Listen, Kyrie: what if **he’s the one**? The one who rejected her?”

_“…_

_… if he’s the one, then he shouldn’t have rejected her in the first place. It’s just,… wrong,… and,… stupid.”_

“I see.”

_“Oh, don’t tell me you’re courting someone while I’m on the other side of the globe?”_

“WHAT?! NO! I would never do that to you!”

_“Hahaha! Of course, Nero. I know you would never do that to me. So, who’s the sad girl?”_

“…”

_“Nero? Tell me.”_

“It’s (Y/N). Do you know her?”

_“Yes. Nico’s always telling me about her. She sounds like a great person. Why? Who rejected her?”_

“Ah, it’s,…”

_“Who?”_

“I - it’s a long story. You know what? Prepare the ice cream and the movies. We’ll end this battle quick, because she needs your company. (Y/N) needs you. Us.”

_“Okay, Nero.”_

“Wait for us, Kyrie.”

** _ “I will wait for you, for as long as I live.” _ **

“I love you, sweetheart.”

_“I love you, too, sweetheart.”_

Nero hung up the phone, sighing as he did so. Ever since hearing about your dire situation ( meaning, everything ) from Nico, herself, he couldn’t help but be sad and angry.

Sad for you, and angry at V.

What man could ever stomach doing that to a girl who clearly loved him?! Enough to follow him at death’s door?!

The young Devil Hunter shook his head in disbelief. He could still remember the Artisan’s words to him a few minutes prior.

_“Go after (Y/N)! She’s reckless right now, and she needs someone who could stop her from killing herself!”_

“Seriously, V.” Nero said to himself as he scratched his head in confusion, unable to envision himself rejecting his beloved Kyrie. “You are one stupid son of a bitch for doing that to (Y/N),…”

** _ “Winter, spring, summer or fall, _ **

** _You know all you have to do is call._ **

** _And I’ll be there, yeah! You’ve got a frieeennnddd!”_ **

“You sound terrible.”

“Are ya kiddin’?! I sound angelic!”

“Right,…”

“(Y/N) and,… Griffon?” Nero uttered upon hearing the conversation not far from where he was. He left the last good phone booth of the city and went to his vehicle,…

“Now, you do it.” Griffon challenged you as you two made your way towards the Dreadnought.

You cleared your throat and opened your mouth, belting the lines that the bird just sang.

** _“Winter, spring, summer or fall,_ **

** _You know all you have to do is call._ **

** _ And I’ll be there, yeah! You’ve got a frieeennnddd!” _ **

“UGH! AND YA CALL THAT SINGING?! YE SOUND LIKE A CAT IN HEAT FALLING FROM THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER!”

“I TOLD YOU! I’M TONE DEAF!”

“Yeah, ya better stick to dancin’, sweet pea. Haha! Haha! Ah, haha! Well, ah,… no offense. You really sound terrible.”

“I know but, you don’t have to rub it in,…”

“(Y/N)!” The two of you suddenly heard a voice behind you.

“Is that?” Griffon questioned as you two looked behind you,…

… to see Nero going full speed towards you in a sleek and sick - looking motorcycle that seemed to glow both blue and purple. He stopped just a few steps from you and proudly revved his new vehicle.

“Hey, (Y/N)! Need a ride?” The young Devil Hunter asked you with his signature, charmingly boyish smile.

“I thought Eleison’s destroyed?” You asked as you glanced at the amazing vehicle in awe.

“Yeah. I saw it with ma own eyes.” Griffon added.

Nero chuckled. “She is. But, you see, a few hours ago, I defeated this knight - Demon thing who wields electricity. When I fought it, its broken parts kinda merged with some vehicle gears. Long story short, I now have Kyrie Eleison!”

“And it has a name now! Right,…” the demonic bird sarcastically replied.

“Anyway, I’m going straight to that ugly ship to make it sink! Wanna tag along?”

“I don’t know, Nero!” You answered. “I mean, can it even fly?”

The boy may not have mentioned it but, he can clearly see your red puffy eyes. Like you have been crying a lot. He chose to ignore this, planning to bring this up for after the battle, and spoke. “We’ll see about that. Hop on!”

You awkwardly took a seat behind the boy, feeling a bit weak in the legs, and held tightly unto his wide shoulders for support. Griffon automatically positioned himself behind you, grabbing unto your hoodie with his talons.

Seeing that you’re prepared and ready for a wild ride, Nero revved Kyrie Eleison and sped fast. He laughed so hard upon hearing your and Griffon’s screams and made the vehicle even faster.

“NERO! CAN WE SLOW DOWN?!” You hysterically begged the boy.

“No! We’re gonna fly, remember?!”

“AAAHHH!”

Meanwhile, Trish and Lady were still fighting against the Demon horde below when they heard your screams.

“What’s that?” Lady asked as she fired her Kalina Ann, making one Demon’s face blast into bloody pieces.

“It sounds like,…” Trish said as she slowly looked up.

And there, right above that hill, the two women saw you, Nero, and Griffon, riding a weird - looking motorcycle and actually flying towards the entrance to the Dreadnought.

“How in the world - ?!” Trish exclaimed in utter awe of the reckless feat.

“They will never make it!” Lady yelled as she prepared for the worst.

“WE’LL NEVER MAKE IT!” You screamed, terrified for what will happen next.

“WE’LL CRASH!” Griffon, who seemed to have forgotten that he could easily fly away from all of this, hysterically added, still clinging unto your hoodie for dear life.

“NOT TODAY!” Nero answered, growling like hell as he revved the motorcycle, willing for it to land safely inside the demonic ship.

All of a sudden, Kyrie Eleison glowed even brighter than ever before with electric currents running all throughout its mechanical body. Its light blinded the Demons below, giving Trish and Lady enough time and opportunity to murder more of them.

“GGGYYYAAARRRGGGHHH!”

“SSSQQQUUUAAAWWWKKK!”

“I WON’T LET YOU DDDIIIEEE!” Nero howled as the motorcycle came into contact with the light barrier that guarded the entrance.

You closed your eyes and wrapped your arms tightly around Nero, not wanting to see yourself crash,…

But, everything seemed normal as you finally landed. You opened your eyes, seeing your uninjured body, and glanced at Nero.

“Is this it? Are we safe now?” You asked, unable to believe that you just flew a motorcycle towards the monstrous - looking ship

“Seems like it.” Nero answered you with a bashful smile.

“Look at this!” Griffon exclaimed in both awe and fear as he looked all over the place.

From the outside, Shinano Musashi looked like a huge hunk of demonic - looking metal with strange horns and protrusions. An impossibly huge mechanism that could float on the sky.

However, inside it was a different story, altogether. The Dreadnought may look robotic and lifeless on the outside but, its insides surely looked like the innards of a monster. Huge veins of both purple and red crawled all over the fleshy, bloody walls, and there was a distinct scent of sulfur wafting about the place. The floors were entirely filled with pools of a crimson - colored liquid that felt sticky when stepped on. Strange green crystals that provided some form of light protruded on the walls of flesh, and different moans of both pain and suffering could be heard echoing all over the place.

It was as if you entered a floating hell.

“What a putrid smell!” The demonic bird complained as he finally let go of your hoodie.

“I actually agree with you, little chicken.” Nero answered as he merely dodged a sticky yellow substance that dripped from the pulsating ceiling.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! YOU UNGRATEFUL, SON OF A - !”

“It’s calling me.”

Both Nero and Griffon looked at you as you got off of Kyrie Eleison and started walking deeper towards the cavern of the Dreadnought.

“Who is calling you?” The bird questioned as he flew towards you.

“I,… don’t know,…” You answered. You, then, turned and glanced back at your two companions, your eyes looking heavy and empty as if in a trance. “It’s calling my name. Can’t you hear it?”

“No!” The young Devil Hunter and the demonic familiar simultaneously answered.

“There it is. I’m,… coming,…” You said monotonously as you looked away from them and continued walking.

“(Y/N), don’t go there alone!” The boy called after you, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. He dismounted and went after you together with the bird.

A few hours of endless walking and various turns deep inside the Dreadnought led you to a slightly different room with less wet flesh and pulsating veins.

You stopped walking as soon as you noticed the quiet and much darker atmosphere. You looked up, wondering who called you there and noticed a subtle glow of light right in front of you in the form of a floating orb.

As soon as Nero saw this orb, he protectively pulled you away as he took out his Blue Rose and pointed at it.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, (Y/N) but, I don’t trust this fairy dust.” The boy said as he faced the suspicious - looking orb.

“I don’t think it wants a conversation with you right now, kid.” Griffon told him as he perched at your right arm.

All of a sudden, the orb grew bigger, casting numerous malicious - looking shadows on the walls. Nero took a step away from it, shielding his eyes from the blinding light until it imploded, leaving the whole room in darkness.

“What happened?!” Griffon squawked as he looked around for potential danger.

“I don’t know but, I have a bad feeling about this,…” the boy answered as he drew The Red Queen in preparation for a battle.

A few moments later, all three of you heard a noise coming from the far end of the room. Your heart suddenly became heavier as a black mass went towards you.

Nero revved his Red Queen, ready to attack the enemy, when, suddenly,…

“Kyrie?” Nero uttered, bewildered to find the woman he loved standing in front of him. “Sweetheart, what are you doing here?”

Your eyes widened as you noticed the sinister smile on Kyrie’s face.

Something was off!

“Nero! Wait - !”

When he was about to reach out to his lover, a strange kind of light in the form of multiple dark whips emanated from her, throwing the boy towards the other end of the room.

“Griffon, please!” You asked the familiar as you took out your rapier and shield.

“No need to tell me!” The bird answered as it gathered its power for an attack -

“Don’t you dare hurt her!” Nero screamed as he finally stood up.

“Can’t ya see, kid?! This chick’s not yer fling! She - SSSQQQUUUAAAWWWKKK!”

“GRIFFON!” You yelled as one of the whips of dark light coming from the creature impersonating Kyrie grabbed one of the demonic avian’s talons and practically threw him away with much force. The bird landed on the ground beside Nero, which left you as the last fighter standing.

You drew your weapon and carefully walked towards the enemy when it suddenly looked at you with its sinister eyes and evil smile. It engulfed itself with its dark light once more, and when it subsided, you saw, in horror, the poet standing before you.

“WHAT IN THE SCHTICK?!” Griffon swore, his golden eyes wide with both humor and fear.

“V?!” Nero muttered in confusion. “(Y/N), look out!”

Before you could even attack, the man strode towards you, raised his hand with the metal cane, and brought it swiftly down on your face, wounding you and making you stumble to the ground.

Your hand automatically went up your cheek and felt something moist from it. You looked at your fingers - blood.

“GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU CHEAP V RIP - OFF FROM HELL!” Griffon shrieked as he flew towards the creature. He released a strong electric attack with the full intention of killing the enemy.

However, the “cheap V rip - off” simply dodged it, flawlessly jumping in mid - air and hitting Griffon with his cane with unbelievable strength. The bird landed on the ground with an ugly thud.

“Nobody told me he’s not sissy like his real counterpart!” Griffon quipped as he tried to get up from the ground. But then, the enemy stepped on him and drove his cane deep into his flesh, instantly making him enter his stalemate state.

“Griffon!” You quickly stood up and ran towards the familiar but the enemy whacked you with his cane once more, this time, straight on your back.

“FUCK YOU!” Nero swore as he charged towards the fake V. The enemy noticed this and changed back to Kyrie. The boy did a mistake of stopping in his tracks, making the enemy attack him once more with its dark whips. He came flying towards the other end of the room, feeling fresh wounds and multiple injuries all over his body.

“TAKE THIS!” You screamed at the top of your lungs as you whacked your shield on Kyrie’s back, making it stumble. Then, you hastily went to Nero’s side, helping him on his feet.

“We can’t attack it like this!” Nero thundered as he stood up, giving the enemy an angry look for taking the form of a person as pure and as angelic as Kyrie.

You looked at him, knowing exactly what the enemy’s weakness was. “Nero, listen to me. That is not Kyrie - ”

“I know! You don’t have to tell me!”

“But, just now, you hesitated to attack her!”

Nero punched the ground in frustration. You grabbed his arm and made him look up at you.

“We’ll attack it together! Come on, Nero! We have to do this!”

A few minutes later of quick strategizing, the two of you came charging towards the enemy. You took turns attacking it, Nero with his Red Queen and you with your rapier. However, the enemy also switched from Kyrie to V, confusing you and unintentionally opening yourselves for its deadly attacks.

Nero, on the other hand, had enough and slashed the enemy’s torso the moment it turned back to V. It drew back in shock, clutching its wounded stomach, then turned to you two with murder and malice in its now red eyes. It dropped its cane on the ground and changed back to Kyrie, extending one of its whips and pinned Nero to the wall, fatally wounding him.

Just when you were about to attack it, it rapidly went back to V, waved its arms, and summoned multiple blades of blue light that rapidly went down on you like bullets.

Nero watched helplessly as the enemy rained its blades of light down upon you, wounding you to the point that you could no longer get up. He wanted to retaliate but, when he tried to even move a muscle, the shape - shifting creature only pinned him to the wall again with its dark whip of light, injuring him even more.

You looked up at Nero, feeling the endless lashes on your battered body. You reached a single hand towards him, wanting to help him despite your torture. Bloody and torn, he also reached out to you,…

That’s when you saw it.

His Breaker suddenly disintegrated and turned into ashes. The boy was engulfed in a warm kind of blue light that instantly healed all of his wounds and injuries. Slowly and like a true miracle, the blue light that engulfed his right arm took form, morphing into something more solid,…

… turning into real flesh,…

His eyes widened at the sight. He forcefully grabbed the dark whip that imprisoned him using his newly formed right arm and almost melted it with the sheer light and warmth it radiated.

The enemy took notice of this and abruptly halted its attack on you, turning into Kyrie once more but, this time, more evil and seductive - looking than ever. And with more dark whips that surrounded its whole body like numerous tails.

“Your tricks are getting too old, you bitch.” Nero quipped as he motioned for the enemy to come closer. “I’ll make you pay for this!”

With wide eyes filled with wonder, you watched as the youth fought the enemy with ease, wounding it, tearing it apart with his bare hands, and exposing it for what it really was. The beating went on for three unbearable minutes, and when it finally went down to the ground helpless and dying, he went towards you to help you stand.

Grabbing his warm right arm, you spoke, “This is a miracle!”

“I know.” Nero answered as he supported you.

You turned towards the dark, beaten, writhing mass on the ground that was the remnants of Kyrie and limped your way to it with Nero still on your heel.

“Who called me here?” You asked it, foolishly believing that it could somehow shed light to the mystery of the Dreadnought and the voice that was calling you.

However, it made one last dying effort to morph once more into V to confuse you. But, the V this time never had the chance to even lay its fingers on you as it remained on the ground beaten and broken.

You felt a pang of guilt as you looked at it and realized that it was only making you feel that way to defeat you.

With one last sigh of apathy towards the enemy, you took Nero’s Red Queen from him, held it above your head, and plunged it to V’s heart, making it writhe and wriggle even more with pain. Feeling your tears pour out of your tired eyes for this unspeakable creature for exposing your true emotions, you plunged the hot sword even deeper, skewering its heart and reducing the enemy down to its true form - a short and wrinkled creature, about four feet in height, with long twisted claws, sharp red eyes, green skin, and skinny legs. You took the sword out of its body and slashed its head, decapitating it and finally putting an end to it once and for all. The remains of the despicable creature caught on fire and slowly turned into ashes.

You gave the sword back to Nero as you collapsed on the ground.

“So, that’s how Mina felt when she decapitated Dracula.” You sighed as you settled on the ground to make yourself comfortable. “Oh, that’s wrong. That’s no Dracula,…”

“Why Kyrie? Why not somebody else?” The youth asked as he watched the creature’s ashes get flown by the wind.

You sighed, feeling the massive weight on your heart and shoulders. “It only reflects how much you love a person. The enemy used it against you because it knew it would be your biggest weakness.”

Nero looked at you in dismay. “So, **you still love him,… V**?”

You blinked twice, not sure if your heart could take any more pain. You, then, let out a long sigh of depression. “**After all this time. Yes.**” You answered, wincing in pain as you touched one bloody wound on your arm.

“Hey, you should fall back now, you can’t fight like this!” The boy pleaded as you let him support you.

However, the moment your skin made contact with his new arm once again, a new set of visions flashed through your mind about him. It was rapid, and yet,…

You only shook your head in disagreement. “Don’t mind me. I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine?! What are you - ?”

Nero’s sentence was cut off as he saw, with his own two eyes, how the wounds on your body miraculously healed. He watched the phenomenon in total shock, and when your last wound closed, he could only laugh in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you’re immortal?!” Nero questioned you.

“And what does that make you?” You asked him as you gave a knowing look on his new right arm.

“Come on, (Y/N). I’m serious here! How did you - ?”

“You never asked how Griffon came to be my familiar.” You cut him off. “And you never asked why my eyes are red. I know Nico told you everything. But, the question is,…” You said, giving him a questioning look as you raised an eyebrow. “… how much do you know?”

The youth could only gulp down in nervousness, his sweat running cold in the process. “Everything.”

“Oh.”

“FUCK YEAH! What? Hey, what did I miss?” Griffon, who was just fully healed and revived, asked as he flew down towards the two of you.

“Nero pulled a rabbit out of his sleeve.” You answered without so much as a fuss.

“Really? Oh, wait. You’re being sarcastic - !”

“Which brings me to my next agenda.” You said as you held up a hand to silence Griffon. “Nero,…”

“What is it, (Y/N)?”

You looked into the youth’s sincere eyes, deciding whether to tell him what you just saw or not, then shook your head.

“Forget I said anything.” You quietly answered as you stood up.

“I know you saw something about me. Tell me!”

You narrowed your eyes at the boy.

Well,…

He had the right to know!

“Listen: do you know Luke Skywalker? The Jedi?” You asked him as you removed your shredded parka, letting Nero take a glimpse of the contract markings on your right arm.

“Luke,… Skywalker? I’m not sure I could follow,…”

“Yeah, the woman likes movies, ya know?” Griffon added as he perched on your arm.

“So, what does this Luke have to do with me?” Nero inquired as he followed you out of the dark and depressing room.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Could you say, **that’s impossible!**”

“**That’s impossible! **There, I said it.”

“You’ll say that again later.”

“What do you mean by that? Hey, (Y/N)!”

You turned to glance at the boy. Taking pity on him, you spoke, “You know, you are very fortunate.”

“Uh, thank you, I guess?” Nero replied, scratching his temple in confusion.

“Thank you for everything, Nero.”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

“Tell Kyrie I said hi.”

“Sure thing.”

“This will be the last time. You’ll never see me again.”

“Okay. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!”

But, you were already gone before he could even ask you that last bit that Nico never told him,…

***

In silence and total darkness, V waited for you to arrive. And during those tense moments, he could only think of Fleminger’s words to him.

_ ** “I know it is power you seek, my Lord. She has that power you’re searching for - the power to make yourself invulnerable. The power - to put you back to your former self. Deep within the Dreadnought lies her true heart. But, piercing it would do you no good. Pierce,… ** _

… her body first, then make her power mine. Only then can I defeat the Dreadnought.” V uttered as Shadow morphed into an indistinguishable form before him. “Only then,… can I truly become,…

… whole. Once more.”

At those final words, something huge behind him pulsated, splashing the suffocating room with its sickly crimson glow and casting unearthly shadows before the poet.

V looked down on his hands. His crumbling flesh. His time,… was coming to an end.

And so, he shall soon receive the power,…

“Come to me, my love.” He called for the third time, knowing that you would come to him right away without hesitation,…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Nero  
Kyrie  
You ( Reader )  
Griffon  
Trish  
Lady  
V  
Shadow
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Shinano Musashi / Dreadnought  
Doppleganger
> 
> Music Mentioned:
> 
> Carole King - You've Got A Friend


	24. He Who Protects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A true friend is someone who protects you like a shield, cares for you like a brother, and fights for you like a warrior."

** _“Winter, spring, summer, or fall,_ **

** _You know all you have to do is call,_ **

** _And I’ll be there, yeah!_ **

** _ You’ve got a friiieeennnddd!” _ **

“Where did you learn that song, anyway?”

Griffon glanced at you, a strange glint of mischief in his yellow eyes. “Ye really wanna know, huh, sweet pea?” He asked in a low and mysterious kind of tone that made you sweat nervously.

“Yes.” You managed to say, turning away from the demonic bird and focusing on your way instead.

You have just escaped Nero and made your way to the opposite side of the Dreadnought. You were so sure that you were getting close to your goal because the voice that was calling you for the past few hours was actually getting louder. But, somehow, you felt like it wasn’t a good sign, at all. You chose not to mention it to Griffon and, instead, made him sing that one song again.

The bird cleared his throat and spoke in a narrative kind of way. “You see, in one of our travels to America, there was this old lady who kept blasting that song near our tent in endless loops. The next day, V developed an incurable LSS of Carole King. And he passed it on to me.”

You gulped, feeling the blood leave your face. The mere mention of the poet’s name sent you back to your tensed state that you suddenly felt stressed and depressed all over again.

And yet, hearing that he could easily be affected by Last Song Syndrome just like any other normal person,…

… your heart simply ached just thinking about it.

“I shouldn’t have asked that.” You regretfully answered.

“WELL, YA FUCKIN’ ASKED FOR IT!”

All of a sudden, you felt a strange movement on the ground beneath your feet. At first, it was only some kind of a light tremor but, seconds later, it gradually became something that was similar to an earthquake.

You struggled to stay on your feet, waiting for the violent tremors to subside when you heard a cracking noise.

It happened too fast: the ground cracking and splitting, showing the ground beneath the Dreadnought, itself, and letting the strong wind enter the demonic mechanism.

And in utter horror, you saw, and realized, that ShiShi had actually took off, bringing you thousands of miles off the ground, away from the city and from the rest of the commissioned Devil Hunters who were still fighting the massive horde below.

“Oh, no,…” you muttered, feeling sick due to the height.

“Watch out!” Griffon shrieked as he took hold of your arm to keep yourself from plummeting to the ground. He pulled you with enough force and made you stumble backwards, safe and away from the edge.

“Thanks.” You said, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

“Look over there!” The bird gestured at the other end of the room with his wing, pointing at an indistinguishable dark mass that suddenly appeared from a corner.

“Another Demon?” You questioned as you carefully stood.

“I don’t want to find out.” The bird answered in both dismay and fatigue, still feeling the stress of his battle against the shape shifter half an hour earlier.

The dark mass stayed there across the room for a brief moment, until it slowly gained height, trembling and glowing with strange blue and crimson lights as it did so.

“What’s happening?” You uttered nervously as you drew your rapier in response to its erratic movement.

Griffon narrowed his eyes at it, realizing in an instant the nature of the enemy you two were going to deal with. “I have a hunch.”

“What is it?”

“Ah,… (Y/N)?”

“Yes?” You replied, turning to the bird with furrowed eyebrows.

“If I die here, promise me you’ll run away from here as fast as you can.”

Your eyes widened and your heart felt like it abruptly stopped beating. You fully turned towards the familiar, feeling confusion, worry, and fear for him.

“What are you talking about? We’re partners! We’re gonna get through this!”

“No! YOU’RE gonna get through this! Not me!”

“Stop saying that! You can’t even die! You just turn into an orb thing!”

“Not this time, (Y/N).”

That sounded really bad. Griffon was calling you by your name and not by the nickname he gave you.

He was dead serious.

You looked back at the mass as it slowly morphed into a kind of creature that resembled a human figure, then back at the demonic bird.

“Please, stop making jokes.” You pleaded, wishing and praying for some kind of miracle to save Griffon from whatever he was talking about.

“STOP BEING SO STUBBORN, WOMAN! Look, I’ am not the only one who gained additional abilities during our travels with V. Shadow did, too!”

“Shadow?” You stammered, unable to believe what you just heard. You glanced back at the dark mass and noticed, in total fear, how it successfully morphed into a beautiful human girl with different colored - eyes: the right one blue and the left one crimson.

And she was looking at you with those empty eyes, like she felt nothing for you, at all,…

“Yeah, and she’s out to kill us,…” the bird calmly said as he flew, positioning himself between you and the other familiar. “Play your cards well, (Y/N). I’ll buy you enough time to escape.”

“I JUST CAN’T LEAVE YOU HERE! I WON’T ALLOW YOU TO MURDER EACH OTHER!”

“FUCK! STOB BEING ANNOYING FOR ONCE, WILL YA?! AND GROW THE FUCK UP!”

“GRIFFON, DON’T DO THIS! PLEASE!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Griffon screamed as he hastily grabbed your shoulders with his talons and threw you away from the room just in time when Shadow closed the distance between her and him with horrifying speed, simultaneously morphing into a mass of black liquid that engulfed the bird.

You looked behind you and saw the two clashing against each other - Shadow trying to dominate and imprison Griffon, and Griffon releasing powerful electric currents that sometimes freezes Shadow.

You winced in pain at the sight of the two, thinking of the times they were still the best of pals - partners of V who protected him at all costs.

But, Griffon made his choice, and that was to protect you against Shadow and the poet, himself. He broke his contract with V and followed you despite knowing that he’ll pay with his life for his actions.

Despite everything, Griffon, the demonic bird, chose to follow his instincts in the face of great danger and remained loyal to them.

You stood up, still hearing the painful battle near you and took a step forward,…

“HOW ABOUT BEATING SOME SENSE INTO SHAKESPEARE INSTEAD, HUH, YOU OVERSIZED KITTEN?!” Griffon quipped as he dodged another set of arrows that Shadow threw at him. “BECAUSE KILLING THAT ANNOYING CHICK DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE, AT ALL!”

Shadow morphed back into a human girl and hissed angrily at him.

“Eurgh, still can’t speak, eh?” Griffon insulted as he prepared for another attack. He released a streak of blinding electricity that landed on the ground in the shape of a V.

Shadow, still in the form of a little girl, went down on all fours, charged forward, and dodged the moving currents, successfully evading them. She was about to scratch Griffon with her long and deadly claws when she suddenly stopped. Her shoulders slumped, and she slightly opened her mouth in total bewilderment.

Then, it came: a veil of white light that crawled on the ground and took hold of Shadow’s feet. Another wave of this veil - like light rapidly crawled on the ground and made her scream, covering her ears as if something was shattering her eardrums.

Like that one time with the Electric Furies when they became deaf due to an unknown force.

“What in the - ?” Griffon muttered as he turned to the left and saw you standing before them. “YOU STUPID - I TOLD YOU TO ESCAPE!”

“I can’t let my friends die like this.” You declared, shaking your head in defiance. “Not today.”

You held up your shield and pressed a button on the neck, making a long steel spike protrude out of its endpin. The steel spike extended and reached the ground, piercing the moist, fleshy soil.

“You’ve been a very bad kitty.” You told Shadow as she noticed you. She charged towards you, animal instincts and all, with the pure intention of fatally wounding you.

You knew she would do it, she was just so predictable. With an ounce of both courage and guilt, you drew your rapier and practically slammed it against the four steel strings of the shield, making the it vibrate. A form of electricity ran through the steel spike down to the ground where it connected, sending the same veil of light towards Shadow and making her howl in pain.

Griffon, who can’t hear the awful sound coming from the shield, at all, flew to where you were and witnessed how Shadow started writhing in unbelievable pain.

“Stay with me.” You instructed the bird as you held the rapier up once more, instantly ending Shadow’s torture. She noticed this and made another effort to charge at you.

However, you were much faster as you slammed the rapier against the strings again but, this time, you did it twice. The veil of light that crawled towards V’s familiar became bigger, engulfing the creature, imprisoning it, and making it writhe even more in pain.

“I’m sorry, girl,…” You whispered, feeling the ache in your heart for the cat as you raised the rapier for the third time. “Chickee, get behind me!”

“AYE!” Griffon obeyed as he took hold of your shoulders tightly.

Seeing that the bird was safe, you brought down the rapier against the strings for the last time, swiped it across like a real bow to a violin, and waved the weapon. Electric currents ran all over the shield, and a second later, it radiated a blinding kind of light that engulfed the whole, dismal room. After that, a strong form of hot light blasted from the shield and made its way towards Shadow, making her human form collapse.

But, she was very steadfast. She made one last effort to attack you, reaching out a murderous claw until she finally stopped, her body morphing back to her feline form but, only smaller.

When the blinding light subsided, you pressed the button on the neck of the shield, retracting the steel spike. You took hold of your weapons with one hand as you strode towards Shadow, who was reduced to the form of a tiny, helpless kitten.

“Aww, ain’t ya the cutest?!” Griffon squeaked at the sight of the mewling and trembling familiar.

You grabbed the familiar by her nape with your free hand and looked straight into her blue and crimson eyes.

“Yeah. The cutest troublemaker.” You answered as you carried her close to your stomach to make her warm.

“I can’t believe it! We defeated Shadow’s lethal form!” Griffon screeched in delight. “Eh, (Y/N)?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did ya stay? You could’ve escaped like what Shakespeare and I always do.”

You chuckled at what he just confessed. “You, running away from the enemy? I thought you’re better than that.”

“You see, it’s always better to run away! Shakespeare and I like to exist, you know. So, we escaped a lot of trouble and refused to die like heroes!”

“Oh but, you chose to be heroic earlier.”

If demonic birds could even become flustered, you were sure that Griffon would be so red in the face at that moment.

“W - we, I mean, I CHANGED! Got a problem with that?!”

“And what changed you?”

All of a sudden, the entity’s words went back to Griffon like it was only yesterday.

And to be perfectly honest, he held onto those words and owned it like a personal mantra of some sort.

It helped him see through the lies of that Fleminger person.

And it made him realize who he really was without the help of V.

“Don’t ask!” The bird grumpily lied. “And don’t think it’s because of you!”

You chuckled in response, making the bird squawk in annoyance.

“I stayed because that’s what friends do.” You answered, making the bird stop being loud. “They got each other’s backs and protect each other.”

There was silence for a brief moment, and when the avian familiar spoke once more, you were absolutely sure that you just heard tears from his voice.

“V never told me I’m his friend.” He confessed quietly.

“Eh? I thought you sang **You’ve Got A Friend** together?”

“Duh, that’s just an empty song.”

“And you clearly don’t know what it means.”

You cleared your throat as you cradled Shadow closer to your chest. And without shame and hesitation, you sang,

** _ “You just call out my name, _ **

** _And you know wherever I’ am,_ **

** _I’ll come running to see you again.”_ **

Griffon took this as a cue and sang along with you with the only lines he actually knew.

** _“Winter, spring, summer, or fall_ **

** _All you have to do is call,_ **

** _And I’ll be there, yes I will,_ **

** _‘Cause you’ve got a friend.”_ **

“Wow, you don’t sound like a cat in heat anymore. But, you still sound awful!”

“I tried,…”

“Friends, it is.” The bird bashfully informed you as he proudly spread his wings.

“Huh? I thought we’re friends already!”

“No, we’re not. I don’t have annoying friends.”

“Pff,…”

As you were about to make your way to another section of the Dreadnought in search for that voice, you felt something crawl beneath your feet. You turned around just in time when a dark spike rose from the ground.

“(Y/N)!” Griffon shrieked as he shielded you from the spike,…

… only for his heart to be pierced by it.

Your eyes wide with fear and your jaw dropped in shock and disbelief, you helplessly watched as the black sentient spike split into two and practically ripped Griffon’s body apart, splattering his guts and demonic blood on your face and on the ground.

“G - g -grif,…” you stuttered as the spike then took hold of the defenseless bird’s limp talons.

But, despite all that pain, you noticed that he, **_your friend_**, was still alive,…

“A - ah,… I - i,…”

“T - this,…” Griffon wheezed, the life and vitality from his once gloriously gorgeous golden eyes slowly vanishing. “… is what f - friends are f - for,…”

With an unbelievable force, the pair of spikes threw Griffon to the edge of the room towards the gaping hole that was made earlier due to the sudden quake. You watched in horror as the lifeless body of the once majestic demon bird fall from the Dreadnought, never to be seen again.

Still incapable of speech, you collapsed on the ground, feeling weak in the knees and sick in the stomach. That’s when Shadow the kitten turned into a little volley of spikes on your arms without warning, wounding you. She, then, jumped away from you and merged with the pair of spikes that retreated back to the ground.

You saw the ground pulsate with its movements, and when you caught sight of it once more as it rose from the ground just over the gaping hole, your eyes widened in fear as the spikes merged with the same human form of the Shadow you faced earlier.

But, this time, the familiar took a more menacing and intimidating look - a dark female knight that stood almost seven feet - tall, the same height as your entity of light.

And, just behind her, was the man himself,…

“Such a waste of great power.” You heard the man as he emerged from the shadows, joining his familiar and tauntingly slamming his cane against his left hand. “Death is a fitting punishment for traitors such as **that**.”

And he spoke of the loyal familiar as if he was nothing to him!

Griffon - who saved him multiple times and stayed with him before all this happened!

You really wanted to speak out, to lash out at the man who Griffon considered to be a real partner, perhaps a friend, even. But then, your heart just couldn’t take it. Your breathing became even more labored, making you struggle with the air you inhale. You actually started to panic as soon as you realized that the man commanded Shadow to morph into a bridge for him so that he could make his way towards you.

“I’m so glad that my,… **little wanderer**,… answered my call.” V told you in his seductively silken and low voice as he carefully started to walk. Playing with his metal cane and twirling it, he successfully managed to cross the dark bridge that Shadow made and stopped right in front of you. “Now, if memory serves me right, you **promised to protect me at all cost**.”

_Stop,…_

“And that you will always be there when I,… **need you**.”

_Enough,…_

“Oh, and, you,… **liked me**,… yes?”

_Please,…_

“Now,…” V drawled lazily, tilting his head to the side and showing you his grin. “… I actually **want** you. No. I **need you**. **Right now**.”

You looked up at him with such fury in your eyes.

That’s when you saw,…

… his face, his skin,…

… he’s,…

… falling apart.

** V,… was dying. **

“What do you say?” The words just rolled out of the poet’s lips like nothing happened.

Like he didn’t hurt you, at all.

Like he didn’t even murder Griffon.

“…”

“Pardon me, for I cannot hear you.” V taunted as he slammed his metal cane on the ground. “You must speak. Louder.”

“NO!” You screamed as you swiftly brought your shield down to the ground, making it radiate with the same blinding light like the one from earlier.

V shielded his eyes from the sudden onslaught, and when the light subsided, he noticed that you were already gone.

The poet chuckled.

“You know you can’t escape me.” He insidiously called out to you at the top of his lungs.

You were fortunate that V didn’t see you as you made your way outside the room, running at full speed towards who knew where. You felt a strange kind of pain on your right arm, and when you looked at it, you noticed that Griffon’s contract markings were slowly disappearing, leaving behind some ugly black traces like an age - old scar.

You looked away from your arm, letting your tears fall.

**_He’s only in stalemate state, right?!_** You helplessly thought as you aimlessly ran. **_He’s not really dead, right? He’ll come back to me, right?_**

The thoughts of your true friend and the sheer denial for what just happened to him made you awfully sick in both mind and body.

You knew deep within your heart that Griffon would no longer return, and that you were fast approaching the moment of your own demise.

All of a sudden, the visions of the white haired man came back to you, of you having a picnic with him, of him playing the violin for you,…

… of you two building a family together.

Lies! They were all,…

** _… just huge, fucking lies!_ **

You covered your mouth as you sobbed uncontrollably, finding it difficult to believe that the entity inside you, which you have trusted for so long, has given you false dreams of a perfect life and family and actually led you to this very moment of complete darkness and hopelessness,…

***

Dante watched the Executioner as it fell on the ground, its incredible mass making the ground tremble.

As soon as he realized that the enemy could no longer breathe, the Legendary Devil Hunter allowed himself to collapse on the ground, fatigue, thirst, and hunger all taking a toll on his body.

With heavy breaths, he held up his broken right arm. It got injured a while ago as the Executioner slammed his massive weapon made of wood against it, making Dante fly across the room and breaking said arm in the process.

The man, then, clicked his tongue in annoyance, wincing in pain at the same time as he felt the awful sensation in his heavily wounded legs.

“Oh, man!” Dante exclaimed helplessly.

And who could blame him? The enemies inside Shinano Musashi were just too strong. In fact, stronger than the enemies he faced in the past. It was like the demonic mechanism was giving them power and amplifying them, giving them strange mutations and making them even more dangerous.

He can’t do it like this. He must destroy the Dreadnought, itself. This endless demonic onslaught would never end unless,…

Dante stopped musing for a while as one random thought came to him.

He took out his Rebellion, or what’s left of it after Urizen knocked him out that day, and took a good long look at it.

“If the Yamato could separate man from Demon,…” he asked himself as he glanced at the intricate carvings of the sword. “Then, what about the Rebellion?”

At the sound of his voice, some more Demons that were bigger and more dangerous than the Executioner came forward, all blood lust and violence, longing to end him.

“You never give me a break, do you?!” The man quipped as he hastily stood up, already feeling his injuries heal.

He had to kill them all and get to you as fast as he could.

He came forward, holding the sword up and pointing it at his mid - section.

Now, if his deductions were right regarding the Yamato and the Rebellion, then,…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> You ( Reader )  
Griffon  
Shadow  
V  
Dante
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Executioner  
Shinano Musashi / Dreadnought
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Carole King - You've Got A Friend


	25. Run, Rabbit, Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run!  
Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run!  
Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer's gun!  
Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run!
> 
> Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run!  
Don't give the farmer his fun, fun, fun!  
He'll get by without his rabbit pie!  
So run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run!"

** _ “Little Lamb who made thee, _ **

** _ Dost thou know who made thee, _ **

** _ Gave thee life and bid thee feed _ **

** _By the stream and o'er the mead; _ **

** _ Gave thee clothing of delight,  _ **

** _ Softest clothing wooly bright;  _ **

** _ Gave thee such a tender voice,  _ **

** _ Making all the vales rejoice!  _ **

** _ Little Lamb who made thee  _ **

** _ Dost thou know who made thee.” _ **

_She stopped reading the sweet poem and looked down on her lap to find him sleeping._

_She sighed. Of course, he fell asleep because he found the story of the lamb boring._

_What’s so bad about the poem of the little lamb? At least, it sounded better and much calmer than the Book of Urizen,…_

_“**Little lamb**,…” she heard his little voice._

_Her ears perked up. She looked down once more and found the little boy staring up at her._

_“Aren’t you a mischievous little boy?” She playfully marveled._

_“May I call you,… **Little Lamb**?” He asked her, his pair of innocent silver eyes filled with some kind of unknown emotion._

_“Yes, you may, dear.”_

_The boy smiled and closed his eyes once more, feeling protected and loved because of her._

_“I’ll always love and protect you. I promise, **Little Lamb**.”_

_The girl opened her mouth in surprise. Her heart brimming with bliss, she lovingly stroked his hair._

_“And I promise you the same, Vergil.” She quietly answered as the boy finally fell asleep._

_It was the most beautiful and peaceful day of all. They chose to isolate themselves in that serenely lush garden where no one could bother them._

_She looked up at the sky, feeling the soft wind on her flushed face and relishing on the scent of the many fetching flowers, freshly blooming in the early morning._

_For her, everything was,… perfect._

_For him, it was,… the most precious moment of all,…_

_***_

The Master of the Fleminger House sat in his office, enjoying a glass of red wine in silence.

The Dreadnought has finally took off about half an hour ago, meaning that the promised hour was fast approaching.

There was a gentle knock on the door. Mentioning for his one good servant to enter, he shifted on his chair so that he was facing the window, instead, where he could clearly see the dot in the sky that was Shinano Musashi.

The thin servant gently closed the door and took a step forward.

“Master,” he droned. “… it is almost time. Your dreams will finally come true.”

Fleminger smiled. He put his empty glass down on the table and motioned for the servant to fill it. “Not only my dreams but, my ancestors’, as well.” He answered, his voice hoarse and content.

“Ah, you are correct as always, Master.” The servant remarked as he took the bottle of liquor from the wine container, opened it, and poured his Master a glass full.

“Ah, Reginald, could you play my favorite song?” The Master calmly requested with a warm smile.

“Of course, Master.”

The servant bowed with flourish and went to another table nearby that was situated next to the wall where the portraits of the pale Fleminger ancestors where hung. He took a slightly overused record from its drawer and placed it on the platter of the vintage player. He first made sure that the speed was correct, and then, pressed play, raising the cueing lever and aligning the tone arm with the record.

The old song that the vintage player produced made the Master smile as he theatrically took a deep breath.

With a fine voice and with twirling fingers, he sang,

** _“On the farm, ev'ry Friday._ **

** _On the farm, it’s rabbit pie day._ **

** _So ev'ry Friday that ever comes along,_ **

** _I get up early and sing this little song._ **

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run._ **

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run._ **

** _ Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer’s gun. _ **

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run!”_ **

***

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,…_ **

** _Don’t give the farmer his fun, fun, fun,…_ **

** _He’ll get by without his rabbit pie,…_ **

** _So run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,…_ **

V saw the traces of blood on the ground, an indication to where his one and only prey went.

He smiled and pointed at that certain direction using his metal cane, making sure that Shadow would go there for the hunt.

He, then, followed suit as calmly as he could, relishing each thrilling moment of this complete and utter madness.

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,…_ **

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,…_ **

** _ Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer’s gun,… _ **

** _ Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run,… _ **

You continued to flee from the man like a hunted animal, hoping and praying for a sign, anything at all, that could save you from all of this.

But, alas. You knew it was futile.

Still, you ran aimlessly, unaware that the more you did, the more evidence you leave behind with the little drops of your own blood from the wound that Shadow inflicted a while ago.

And then, just like a landslide on a quiet and empty place, the pulsating wall on your right burst open, splattering demonic blood and unidentified guts all over your body.

After that, Shadow, on the form of a fearsome female knight, emerged from that hole in pursuit of you.

You looked at her in horror and turned away just in time as she morphed one of her arms to a dark lance that was readily pointed at your back. The familiar charged at you, her lance almost piercing your small body. You merely dodged it as you bent, drawing your rapier in response to the attack. You waved your weapon and sent a blade of light flying towards Shadow, which she deflected using her other hand that just morphed into a shield. The deflected blade of light bounced off her and landed on the ceiling, making huge throbbing veins drop from it along with a waterfall of thick crimson liquid.

** _Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,…_ **

** _Don’t give the farmer his fun, fun, fun,…_ **

** _He’ll get by without his rabbit pie,…_ **

** _So run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,…_ **

You used this waterfall of blood as an opportunity to get away with as much speed as you can.

And through all that ruckus, you tried to call the entity’s name,…

**It would not obey you.**

But, **why**?

Then, you heard another explosion as Shadow struggled to get through the Dreadnought’s gunk. You did not waste any more time looking at her when she started morphing, and instead turned around towards a dark section of the demonic mechanism.

You felt your way into the darkness, leaving you with no choice but to stumble to a huge, spherical structure that seemed to glow with weak crimson light. You hid behind it, feeling its smooth and fleshy sensation against your palm.

Moments later, the noises subsided. You could no longer hear Shadow and her heavy, splashing footsteps against the pools of blood on the floor.

You waited, holding your breath and wishing for this whole nightmare to end.

And then, as if by some unuttered kind of curse, you heard his voice.

“Hmm,…” the poet hummed with that seductive voice of his. “I could smell,… something familiar here,…” he playfully mused.

Your breath hitched.

“I know you’re there, I could smell you.” He called, making you tremble in fear and your hair stand on end.

And at that precise moment when you felt your heartbeat triple in suspense, the structure where you were hiding glowed and flickered like a lamp.

V noticed this exact phenomenon and knew exactly where you were.

“Now, there’s no use hiding now, is there,… **Little Lamb**?”

At the mere mention of those words, the structure flickered in erratic sequences, providing some kind of light to the dark and suffocating room.

You noticed this sudden change, as well. You were honestly aware that the poet never referred to you as **Little Lamb**, and yet,…

** _… it felt awfully familiar, like you’ve heard it before in a seemingly far away land,…_ **

And at the simple thought of it, the strange structure glowed and pulsated in time with the beating of your heart.

_**Little Lamb?**_ V thought. **_Where did I hear those words again?_**

“Now, **Little Lamb**, I would greatly appreciate it if you come out now, lest I turn into a Big Bad Wolf and hunt you down, myself.”

V waited for a response from you but, all he could see was the demonic structure glowing and pulsating multiple times, **like a beating heart**.

_**And she honestly thought she could conceal her demonic nature?**_ V thought as he sighed at the situation. He was fast approaching his own death, and he could not do anything to the **heart** unless he end you first,…

He must do it quick before he could completely crumble to nothingness.

“You leave me with no choice so, be it.”

Your eyes widened at those words and you had to cover your mouth to prevent yourself from screaming when you heard a snap, followed by a huge explosion that practically made a hole in the ceiling and making everything around you bright.

You felt massive tremors on the ground and, seconds later, you felt the golem fire its laser at the structure, almost obliterating you to smithereens had you not ducked in time.

The onslaught went on for a painful minute until it finally subsided, leaving new holes in the room.

Strangely enough, despite the golem’s powerful attack, the structure you were hiding from remained unscathed and sturdy as if it was made from the strongest, otherworldly materials.

You thought you were finally safe until you felt the horrifying tremors once more, making you shut your eyes and cover your ears in defense as Nightmare fired its laser at you for another round.

The attack went on for another five minutes, making you cower helplessly behind the one and only thing in the evil Dreadnought that actually made you safe.

And during this ambuscade, you couldn’t help but think how foolish you were for ever declaring that you’re ready to die. You felt stupid for believing that you finally accepted your fate of inevitable demise, and you felt useless and coward for not fulfilling the wish that was set for you by the entity as a mission for ten whole years.

**_I can’t,…_ **you fearfully thought. **_I can’t do it!_**

As Nightmare went on with its aggression for five more minutes, the faces of all the people you met flashed before you.

Of friends, of allies, of helpers,…

** _… of Trish and Lady,…_ **

** _… of Nero,…_ **

** _… of Patty,…_ **

** _… of Griffon,…_ **

** _… of Nico,…_ **

** _… of Dante,…_ **

** _… of the one you loved the most,…_ **

“I can’t!” You cried as you braced yourself for another onset.

** _ “You were asking how to thank me for earlier. May I have the honor of this dance, my lady?” _ **

“Please,…”

** _“Hmm,…those scars,… symbolize the true enjoyment and will that you felt doing that special something you adore. Those feet, my Lady,… I would kiss,… over,… and over again,… if I could,… ”_ **

“P - please,…”

** _“What matters is that you still have precious people around you, my Lady. You must focus on not losing them, as well.”_ **

“Enough,…”

** _ “I long to see such things as those you have probably seen. I want to experience everything and I wish to see them with my own eyes. See for myself what these poems of mine describe. But, the idea of doing those things alone,… do not please me, at all.” _ **

** _ “But, with a companion?” _ **

** _“Would I be selfish if I ask you to accompany me, little wanderer?”_ **

** _“V, I,…”_ **

The onslaught abruptly halted as you heard the man gasp for air like he was having an asthma attack of some sort. The tremors stopped as you heard a thud on the ground behind your hiding place.

As if by some deep - rooted instinct, you felt the entity take over your senses, pushing you into a deep trance and unconsciousness,…

V was losing all of his remaining demonic power. As soon as Nightmare evaporated, he fell on the ground, feeling an intense difficulty in breathing.

He must kill you now and obtain your power! Or else,…

“Mas,… ter,…”

The man couldn’t believe his eyes, for you finally came out of your hiding place of your own accord, ready to die.

He struggled to stand up and limped his way towards you. Making sure that you would not escape, he summoned Shadow for the last time with the last shred of his power and commanded it to morph into a set of spikes that pierced your legs and arms.

The sweet scent of your blood that fell from your wounds to the ground almost drove him to insanity but, still, he denied the temptation.

He leaned on his cane for support and held up a hand: a gestured he did once in Delphi to summon the Yamato. And with that command, the remaining parts of Shadow that were not connected to you changed once more into dark vines that grew equally dark roses. He waited for the right moment, and when it finally came in the form of the biggest flower, he let go of the metal cane and pulled out the protruding sword from the dark bud. He unsheathed it and pointed it at you.

You felt yourself drifting, the darkness engulfing you like an unwanted embrace. But, then, you were pulled out of it as you were filled once more with light. And when you opened your eyes, you saw V pointing a sword at you.

His skin cracked beyond recognition, his eyes red to the point of bleeding, you knew he was reaching his limit.

And, still, he smiled triumphantly,…

With Shadow’s spikes sticking to your limbs to prevent escape, you were at the poet’s mercy.

The man sighed as he pointed the sword against your mid section.

“I know you could never resist me, my love.” V whispered hoarsely, his grin as evil as ever. “Any last words, **Little Lamb**?”

The tears just fell and your heart ached awfully.

The entity, who, apparently, was loyal only to its real “Master”, has brought you involuntarily to the death’s door. You knew there was no turning back.

You bowed down low, letting your tears fall on the ground. Controlling your sobs, you looked up and glanced into his empty bloodshot eyes one last heart - wrenching time, and let out the words you so wanted to tell him for the last ten years,…

The massive heart of the Dreadnought pulsated weakly in response to your dying heart. With a soft voice, you whispered your feelings, pouring out all of the emotions and frustrations that piled up over the years of being controlled by the entity.

**“I love you, V.”**

For a moment, the man let the sword down, seemingly conflicted with something. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he started chortling, a bit soft, at first. Then it gradually became louder as he slicked his dark locks and threw his head back.

Your heart felt like it just shattered into a million pieces at the same time that the massive heart of the Dreadnought lost its radiance.

You bit your lip, trying to hold back the pain.

With a deep sigh, V raised the Yamato above his head, gripping its hilt with his weak, trembling hands and pointing it to your stomach.

His thirst taking hold of his entire being and engulfing what little humanity he had left, he declared with every inch of the true Devil within him,

“I choose,… **POWER**!”

With one swift movement, he drove the sword to your body, ignoring your last words,…

… letting go of his former self,…

***

“I choose,… **POWER**!”

V rammed the Yamato to the girl’s body, making sure that the long blade would come through her fragile form.

Her blood spouted out from her mouth and wounds, splattering on the ground, and her head hung low - a clear indication that her life was soon ending.

At that moment, her body radiated with the same blinding light that once reduced Shadow to a small form but, this time, it transformed into a pair of wings behind her back. The wings, then, scattered like petals, transfiguring into two female forms. The two figures disintegrated into little orbs and swiftly made their way to V’s body.

He instantly felt hot all over as soon as the two entities entered his body. He felt great power surging all throughout his dying form, giving him unparalleled strength and vitality.

Giving him power unlike any other he has received before,…

A meteor - like crimson light suddenly crashed through the ceiling and landed on the ground before him. Its light subsided, revealing the form of his twin brother.

As soon as Dante realized that his brother was standing before him, alive and unharmed, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes seethed with rage.

“Ya got some pretty big cojones for comin’ back.” Dante gritted through his teeth, drawing a strange sword and charging towards his twin brother. “You just don’t know when to give up!”

He was about to beat the crap out of him until he saw the familiar body on the ground,…

The Devil Hunter stopped in his tracks, unable to believe his own eyes as they roamed on the forgotten form that was swimming with its own blood. He kneeled in front of her and gently took her in his arms.

“(Y/N)? No, no, no, no, no!” Dante whispered, his voice broken and his eyes stinging. “Stay with me, please. Stay with me,…”

He felt for her pulse and found out that she was actually barely alive despite the grave wound she just received. He felt some little power left within her that was still trying to help her heal but, it felt like the rest of them somehow got taken away from her. By force.

That’s when Dante saw a familiar metal cane on the ground, and a demonic feline at his brother’s side,…

“So, this is your plan all along, huh, V?!” Dante raged as he looked at his brother in total wrath. “And to think I mourned for your death and wept for Nero’s ignorance for killing his own father,…

"And now, this,…” the man gritted as he carefully laid the girl on the ground, standing up and striding towards his twin, his form slowly getting engulfed by that same red light. “Not only did you take the woman I love away, you tried to murder her, too! THE WOMAN WHO CHOSE YOU!”

Dante changed into a terrifying form of evil that made Shadow cower in fear behind V.

It was bigger and even more threatening - looking, unlike his first Devil Trigger form.

However, this didn’t faze the man who just gained true power,…

“LET’S END THIS,” Dante howled, summoning the strange sword once more and flying towards his own family. “… **VERGIL**!”

Vergil simply raised the Yamato, and his body was suddenly engulfed with the familiar light that Dante once saw in the girl.

Instead of turning into a Devil, himself, Vergil turned into a seven - foot tall being of light that disintegrated everything within its immediate vicinity.

“Andromeda.” Vergil pronounced the name of the entity of light - The Protector of The Present - as he pointed the Yamato at Dante. The Protector amplified his strength and with incredible speed, he charged towards the Devil, mortally wounding him with just one slash.

Dante fell on the ground without so much as a fight, turning back into his human form. He coughed up blood and realized, in utter shock, that the wound he received from the full force of Andromeda was not healing. Not at all.

“The Goddesses have acknowledged their true Master.” Vergil uttered as soon as he turned back to his mortal form. “And it has never been you, or Sparda, or even that disposable and pathetic vessel you spoke of as your love. Their one and only Master - is me.”

“You’ve really,… gone too far this time!” Dante said as he struggled with his wound.

“Worry not. The pain shall soon pass. You will rest in peace.” The elder brother calmly spoke as his eyes suddenly widened. He held up one arm and stopped another Devil as it stealthily charged towards him.

The blue - winged Devil with long white hair struggled as he tried to escape Vergil’s grasp, choking and turning back to his human form,…

“Nero,…” Vergil acknowledged the boy as he watched him suffer. “Even with your awakened state, you are still useless. What a waste of great power.”

“HE’S YOUR SON!” Dante yelled as he fell once more to the ground.

Nero stopped struggling as he looked at the cold, white - haired man who was choking him to death.

**All of a sudden, he remembered the mysterious words she told him,…**

** _“Can you say, that’s impossible?”_ **

“**T - that’s i - imp - possible!**” Nero breathed, unable to believe the plain and painful truth.

And it seemed nothing to Vergil, who gained absolute power and lost his entire humanity in the process.

“My son,… means nothing to me!” He exclaimed as he brought down the boy to the ground with the full intention of breaking him like glass.

Then, he heard it. He heard her whispering to him,…

_“Master,…”_

“Cassandra?” Vergil muttered.

_“It has begun,…”_

“What will - ?”

Cassandra took hold of Vergil’s mind, showing him visions of the future,…

… of the **true enemy** rising up in vengeance, of the total annihilation of humanity,…

… of the world’s end,…

As soon as Cassandra left his mind, Vergil saw, in utter denial and horror, how the massive heart of the Dreadnought exploded, splattering thick red liquid everywhere and gushing out the same substance on the floor like a waterfall.

And inside Shinano Musashi’s heart was the form of a naked girl who looked so much like that disposable vessel the Sisters of Fate chose for him.

The girl opened her eyes, revealing her pitch - black pupils like they were void of life. Her sight adjusted, and when she glanced down to the ground, ignoring Vergil and Shadow, she saw Dante, Nero, and,…

“S - sister?” The girl uttered, her voice sounding off and broken, like her throat was mutilated. “S - sist - ter,…”

**_Sister?_** Vergil thought as the girl made her way to (Y/N). **_Is she (Y/N)’s - ?!_**

** _ “She was the most beautiful girl in the world, and everybody adored her. She,… died,… to save me, V.” _ **

** She’s dead! How could she - ?! **

The girl looked down at her sister’s dying form, and when she finally realized what truly happened, her form suddenly changed, with dark scales growing on her pale and perfect skin and three pairs of equally dark wings sprouting out of her back.

The girl - a demonic figure now - howled in agony as a pair of long, twisted horns protruded out of her head. She screamed like this for nearly a minute, and when her transformation into a full Demon was finally complete, she flew up to the sky with unbelievable speed.

Vergil, Dante, and Nero helplessly watched as the sky turned dark.

Moments later, multiple crimson lasers rained down from the clouds, landing on the ground and annihilating everything within its reach.

Killing innocents in the process,…

**_This,… is not,… written! _**Vergil exclaimed in his mind as he called back Shadow and morphed again into the light being, leaving Dante and Nero and escaping just in time when the Dreadnought started crumbling and descending from the sky.

**_I must go to Fleminger! _**He thought hysterically as the massive genocide ensued. **_He knows what to do!_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Vergil / V  
Shadow  
You ( Reader )  
Nightmare  
Dante  
Nero
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Fleminger  
Reginald Whodunnit  
Galatea  
Andromeda  
Cassandra
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Shinano Musashi / Dreadnought / Sister
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Flanagan And Allen - Run, Rabbit, Run


	26. Hope Has Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, here will I set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world - wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips, oh, you, the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss, a dateless bargain to engrossing death,…”
> 
> ~ William Shakespeare, from "Romeo And Juliet"

_ ** “Ave Maria! Jungfrau mild, erhöre einer jungfrau flehen, aus diesem felsen starr und wild soll mein gebet zu dir hin wehen, zu dir hin wehen. Wir schlafen sicher bis zum morgen, ob menschen noch so grausam sind. O jungfrau, sieh der jungfrau sorgen, o mutter, hör ein bittend kind!” ** _

** _ “Ave Maria! Jungfrau mild,…” _ **

The people of the church never ceased praying since news of the Devil Hunters’ demise and the rise of the True Demon reached them.

The innocent people of that country in the west, or what remained of them, all huddled close to the altar, joining the endless prayer vigil with personal prayers of their own, hoping for some kind of a savior that would come down and rescue them.

Kyrie, who watched over the children, was inside that church.

“Sshh, it’s okay.” The woman cooed, reassuring them to, at least, keep them calm, for they haven’t stopped crying for the last half hour.

And who could blame them? Multiple lasers of destruction were raining down from above, killing hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

Despite her vigilant and reliable façade, Kyrie felt really **sick**.

She closed her eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to spill. Negative thoughts plagued her mind all day, about the genocide, the inevitable end,…

… the life of her one true love **_and_**,…

The screams and noises outside grew louder and louder as the massacre ensued. And, just when the disturbing noises drew closer and closer, the heavy wooden doors of the church burst open, and in came a group of six to eight feet tall gargoyle - like creatures whose mouth and claws were dripping with blood,…

… blood of the people they massacred.

At the mere sounds of these creatures of darkness, the people of the church made their prayers louder, hands clasped and knees bent.

** _“Ave Maria_ ** ** _ ! Jungfrau mild, erhöre einer jungfrau - !” _ **

The Demons laughed and howled, mocking the defenseless.

“GOTT IST NICHT HIER!” The tallest and most horrifying of the horde boomed, its voice engulfing the whole room in hopelessness and making the younger ones cry even louder. “**PANDÄMONIUM**,… IST GEKOMMEN! IHR ALLE WERDET,… STERBEN!”

An old Priest bravely came forward despite his trembling knees, holding up his crucifix in hopes of warding off the Demons.

** _“Sáncte Michael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio,…”_ **

The enemies fell silent, looking at each other, confused of what’s going on. The priest took this as an opportunity to keep praying.

** _“Cóntra neqúitiam et insídias diáboli - ”_ **

One by one, the enemies started laughing at his words, clearly not affected by his prayer.

With sweat running cold and courage slowly diminishing, the poor old Priest went on, **_“… ésto p - p - præsídium. Ímperet ílli Déus - ”_**

One of the Demons came forward and mockingly uttered the prayer with the frightened Priest. **_“… SÚPPLICES DEPRECÁMUR: TUQUE, PRÍNCEPS MILÍTIÆ CÆLÊSTIS - ”_**

**_“SATANAM!” _**The Demons bellowed in unison, shaking the faith of everyone in the room, including the now crying Priest, who started to urinate involuntarily.

The old one wiped his tears. Despite the Demons’ machinations, he went on, still holding his crucifix up high. **_“… aliósque spíritus malígnos, qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo,…”_**

One of the Demons bent low, reaching the Priest’s face, and howled, spraying his spit on the poor man’s face,

** _“VENITE IGITUR DESCENDAMUS ET CONFUNDAMUS IBI LINGUAM EORUM UT NON AUDIAT UNUSQUISQUE VOCEM PROXIMI SUI!”_ **

The man started weeping, unable to finish his prayer. Then, the Demon grabbed his body with one hand and lifted him off the ground, earning screams and panic from the people.

**“LAUF!”** The Priest shrieked for the last time as the Demon lifted him. **“LAUF!”**

Kyrie grabbed the children and ran as fast as she could with them, not once looking back when the Demons started feasting on the Priest and the people nearby. She hid with them, suppressing her tears and hoping for some form of a miracle.

“Nero,…” she muttered, her eyes shut and her arms around the frightened children. “… please,…”

Then, it came: a Demon who found them, its drool dripping, its menacing red eyes looking down at them like they were some meals on a buffet.

“FOUND YOU!”

…

The remains of the Dreadnought finally fell from the sky, its parts crumbled and destroyed.

Nero pushed back some fleshy debris and looked down at the two people he was protecting with his translucent pair of blue wings. He changed back to his mortal form and supported Dante as he allowed himself to collapse on the ground, the dying girl still on his arms.

“We can’t do this! We’re all gonna die here!” The youth barked, unable to accept Dante’s condition. The wound he received from Vergil was not healing, and he was losing a lot of blood.

“YOU’RE WRONG!” Dante fumed as his hand automatically went to his wounds, wincing with unbearable pain. “Listen to me, kid: you’re the only one left here who could stop my stupid brother.”

“I can’t beat your brother! Not like this - ”

“Then, take this!” The older man snapped, shoving his sword towards the young one. “That’s,… the **Devil Sword Dante**. Use it to defeat,… Vergil!”

Nero looked at the sword in his hands, still trying to process everything that’s going on. “I can’t accept this! You’re his family! You’re supposed to be the one who must defeat - !”

“AND SO ARE YOU! Vergil - V - is your father! I won’t last,… much longer!” Dante wheezed. “If you don’t want to do it for me, then do it for (Y/N)! You must,… beat some sense out of your old man for,… HURTING HER! AARRGGHH!”

“Hey!” Nero spluttered as he witnessed how the once strong Dante spout out blood, the life leaving his body. “Take it easy,…”

“Swear to me you’ll beat Vergil!”

The youth glanced into his uncle’s worried eyes, searching for some kind of hope in them.

But, there was none.

Dante, the Legendary Devil Hunter, was dying.

Nero grasped the sword like it was his, looked at Dante for one last time, and nodded. He also looked at the girl on Dante’s arms. It seemed that all hope has finally left her, as well.

“No offense here but, **Devil Sword Dante** sucks ass. **Devil Sword Nero **sounds better.”

“Whatever.” Dante whispered, his eyelids dropping and his breathing getting shallower. “Do it for the girl,… _**capisce**_?”

“Sure.”

The man smiled and wrapped his arms around her for one last time. He closed his eyes and breathed his last.

Nero felt a strange sting in his eyes but, he refused to let his emotions overwhelm him.

After all this time, he finally found out he has a family.

But, Dante was already gone,…

He turned away and ran in pursuit of the man who was the cause of all this shit.

With the Devil Sword Dante on his hand, and the Red Queen and the Blue Rose at his disposal, Nero morphed back into his Devil form and launched in the air, looking for Vergil, all the while seeing the massive casualties of the Hunters on the ground below him.

And just when he was about to speed past them, he noticed a familiar - looking white vehicle making its way past the mountain of Demon and human carcasses.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Nico uncharacteristically cursed as she drove and avoided multiple fallen debris from both the Dreadnought and some destroyed buildings.

“This isn’t supposed to happen!” Lady, who was in the vehicle together with her and Trish, protested. “Why is Shinano Musashi still alive?!”

“Dante, and everybody else, lost! And that’s about it.” Trish asserted, finding her own assumptions, and her untimely headache, hard to swallow.

“We can’t lose right now! That Demon’s on a rampage! Everybody will die!” Lady prodded, still willing to fight despite their huge loss.

“NO ONE’S LEAVING THIS TRAILER UNTIL I SAY SO!” Nico howled as she drove faster, trying to protect the two ladies in her own way.

All of a sudden, they heard a hard thud on the roof of the vehicle, like something heavy landed on it. Then, it was followed by some knocks, like it was begging to be let in.

“What’s that?” Lady questioned.

“I have a fair idea who.” Nico answered as she hit the break. Moments later, Nero entered the trailer, looking devastated and disturbed. “Hey, psycho! What happened out there?!”

“Dante’s dead.”

At the youth’s bombshell of an announcement, the three women fell silent, unable to grasp the truth.

“It can’t be,…” Lady mumbled, eyes wide with shock.

“(Y/N)’s still holding on but, not for long, I know. And V,…” Nero went on, eyes narrow in sheer wrath. “He’s the cause of all of this.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Trish asked, partially expecting V to be somehow involved with everything that was happening.

The young Devil Hunter explained everything, from the moment V took (Y/N)’s powers by stabbing her and the fact that he was Dante’s long lost twin brother, Vergil. And that he was, unfortunately, his own father.

And as the three women heard about the real ShiShi waking up as a true and hideous Demon due to her “sister” being wronged by the man she loved, they couldn’t help but wince in total frustration and disappointment.

“So, V chose power and ended up angering ShiShi in the process.” Nico stated, feeling nothing but anger towards the man she once trusted. “Sounds like a bitch to me. Your father, I mean.”

“Where is V - **Vergil**, now?” Trish asked.

“I’m not sure but, I have a hunch.”

Just as Nico was about to start the trailer, they heard a fresh batch of frightening explosions nearby - a sign that (Y/N)’s sister was wreaking havoc once more with her lasers of obliteration.

“If we linger here for a bit longer, we’ll all be fried!” The Artisan yelled as she began driving as fast as she could. “Nero, where do you think your old man is?!”

“Fleminger’s mansion!”

The woman’s eyebrows furrowed. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her freckled nose and nodded. “We’ve got some major bitch ass - kicking to do.” She said as she skillfully grabbed a cigarette stick from her pocket, flipped it, and caught it with her chapped lips. “I’m allowed to smoke now because the girl who forbade me to do it is gone! Nero!”

The youth obliged, grabbing the lighter from his pocket and lighting up the Artisan’s cigar. “Can we get there in five minutes?”

Nico tilted her head and smirked. “Bitch, please. We’ll get there in three!”

“NICO, BEHIND US!” Lady shrieked as she looked at the window, signaling for an incoming attack.

As the bumpy ride went on, the woman has successfully performed turns, sometimes, flips, with the vehicle, skillfully dodging all of ShiShi’s deadly lasers that seemed to target them and them alone. And a few heart - stopping moments later, Fleminger’s mansion finally came into view.

“We’re gonna make it!” Lady exclaimed but, her positivity was cut short as soon as they noticed Trish pointing at something behind them. The laser, which stayed in one place for a moment, grew wider at thrice its regular size.

“No,… way,…” Nico uttered as she glanced at it on her side mirror. Her eyes grew even wider as the laser chased after them, obliterating everything in its path.

“NICO, IT’S GONNA CATCH UP TO US!” Lady yelled at her.

“I KNOW!” Nico yelled back as she drove faster than ever before. “(S/N), STOP ATTACKING US! WE’RE NOT YOUR ENEMIES!”

“(S/N)?!” Nero inquired as he looked at the Artisan in confusion.

“(Y/N)’s sister. She told me.” The woman answered.

“Whatever her name is,” Trish began in a not - so - calm voice. “… we’re not gonna make it! (S/N) wants all of us dead!”

And she was right: the massive crimson light was inches away from the vehicle, already disintegrating parts of it.

Nico inhaled deeply, contemplating her next move for a few seconds. And when she finally exhaled, filling the air around her with cigarette smoke, she spoke, “Nero, on my signal, I want you to jump out of this trailer. Lady, Trish, you’ll do whatever it takes to get Nero to safety. Is that clear?”

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you talking about?!” Nero started to argue when Trish grasped his shoulder firmly. The youth turned just in time to see the two female Devil Hunters nodding at him.

“Girls, you’ve got to be joking - !”

“IS THAT CLEAR?!”

“We understand!” Trish and Lady answered.

“Okay.”

“You’re being stupid and reckless! I can’t let you die here! I won’t allow it!”

“STOP BEING A BITCH AND LISTEN TO ME FOR THE LAST TIME!” Nico screamed at him in anger, her sight not once straying from the road. “You’re the only one left who could do this! Better us than you!”

“She’s right. We don’t have much time!” Trish added.

“GUYS!” Lady shrieked in utter panic, pointing at the back, or what’s left, of the vehicle, now swiftly being swallowed by the light.

“LADY, OPEN THE DOOR! TRISH, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO STOP THAT LIGHT FROM REACHING NERO! AND WHEN SHE DOES, NERO, I WANT YOU TO JUMP AS FAR AWAY FROM HERE AS YOU CAN!”

“GOTCHA!”

“GOT IT!”

Nero watched helplessly as the women did their jobs, of Lady opening the door, of Trish positioning herself in front of the light, her hands sparkling with what’s left of her demonic power, and of Nico driving as fast as she could.

Determined to the bone, the Artisan made one last trick and launched the vehicle in mid air. She turned to them and uttered her final command.

“NOW!”

Trish held up both her hands and channeled every bit of her power to the light, doing everything she can to hamper its movement.

“NERO, PLEASE!” Lady pleaded as she waited for the youth to oblige.

“Y - you,…” the young Devil Hunter stuttered in disbelief, unable to protect them, himself, despite having adequate power.

“PUSH THAT KID OUT OF HERE! AAHH!” Trish howled in pain as the light festered her hands, then her forearms.

Lady made one last effort to push Nero out of the trailer, away from them,…

… away from the very last people who placed, yet, another great burden upon his shoulders.

The last things he saw on the trailer as he gave it one last look were Lady’s worried different - colored eyes, Trish’s serene smile, despite her half - gone body,…

… and Nico flipping the bird as she spat her very last cigarette butt.

A huge explosion followed as the light finally engulfed the trailer, throwing Nero farther away from the road with its impact.

The next time he opened his eyes, everything was quiet, everything was calm,…

He couldn’t see anything,…

… except for the lifeless faces of all the people he lost within a day.

Dante, Nico, Lady, Trish,…

… and that girl,…

All because of one man’s huge blunder.

And he, a proud descendant of Sparda, was hell - bent on bringing that stupid man down to his knees,…

***

Vergil landed on the wrecked balcony of Fleminger’s mansion, clearly noticing its _quite_ undisturbed state despite the Dreadnought’s massive ambuscade. The sprawling mansion, itself, still stood in one piece. The once majestic ballroom may be reduced to a complete ruin due to the Electric Furies’ attack last Saturday and Nico’s reckless driving last Tuesday but, the rest of the huge building’s parts were still intact.

With the Yamato on his hand, he cautiously entered the dark and silent premises, hoping for Fleminger to show up,…

“My Lord?” A familiar voice uttered from a distance. He squinted his eyes, trying to see through the darkness, when he noticed the Master of the house standing at a safe distance away from the entrance.

“Fleminger?” He called as he went closer, and the moment he did, he was unnerved to see the man looking really pale, like he just lost a lot of blood.

“My Lord!” He exclaimed triumphantly, his hands clasped as if in a prayer. “How wonderful to see you finally succeed!”

“Tell me,” Vergil cut him off. “… the Dreadnought. Why is it still alive? I drove the Yamato through her sister’s body and obtained her power. She should be weakened. I demand an explanation.”

“My Lord,” Fleminger began. “… I’m afraid to say that,… you have not gained _**everything**_.”

“And what do you mean by those words?”

“Inside the girl lies,… _**another**_. You may have her unmatched strength and her ability to look into the future but, you have yet to gain the most powerful ally.”

At the mere prospect of gaining more power, Vergil’s eyes clearly widened with interest. “And that is?”

Tired eyes red and pale hands rubbing against long, black, satin bishop sleeves, Fleminger spoke to him, “**Immortality**, my Lord. You have yet to gain her immortality. Acquire this and you shall be able put an end to the Dreadnought, once and for all. Obtain this,…” the man licked his dry lips and smiled at him. “… and you will be the most powerful being in existence. Even greater than Mundus, or Sparda, himself.”

Vergil glanced at the man with scrutinizing eyes, searching for something in Fleminger that could betray him of any kind of deceit. And when he found none, he nodded, then turned away from him.

“Then, I shall obtain it. And put an end to that Demon.”

“Even with obstacles before you?” Fleminger innocently asked just when another visitor arrived at the mansion. Vergil found out that it was none other than his son, Nero, himself.

“He is never an obstacle.” The father stated, regarding his own son with complete apathy. “Just a child who lost his way.”

“YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!” Nero fumed as blue light radiated from his body, engulfing him and slowly changing him to his Devil form. “V, VERGIL, WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELF: **FUCK YOU**!”

The young Devil Hunter summoned Dante’s sword and charged forward with every intention of beating his father.

But, Vergil had other plans.

With one swift movement, he pulled out what’s left of the black contract markings from his neck, the thick, mysterious ink sticking to his fingers like glue, forcibly summoning both Shadow and Nightmare in the process.

While the golem started mindlessly destroying the place, the demonic feline only looked at Vergil in confusion, asking _**‘why?’**_ without actual words. And this made Nero stop.

“I don’t have time for this.” Vergil told his son. “Play with these nightmares. Kill them, if you must.

**“I’m done with them.”**

“What are you - ?!”

With those empty words, the cold man simply walked out, changing into the light being once more as he arrived at the balcony, and soared into the skies in pursuit of his final goal. Nero was about to go after him when the abandoned familiars started attacking him.

For a brief moment, Vergil’s eyes scanned the ground below him like an eagle in search of his prey, swiftly descending when he finally spotted the remains of the Dreadnought. He morphed back to his mortal form once his feet touched the ground and made his way towards two distinct figures along the fleshy debris of Shinano Musashi.

That’s when he saw something else,…

… the girl, or what looked like her spirit,…

… who was sitting on the ground just beside her and Dante’s body.

Her head bowed down low, her tears spilling on her lap, her hands on the girl’s limp and bloody hands, she wept for her, her mournful sobs filling the silent place.

And then, Vergil realized,…

“You,…”

The girl looked up, her eyes wide with fear. He knew she wasn’t (Y/N), and yet,…

… the resemblance,…

… was uncanny.

“Vergil,” she uttered, her voice sounding awfully familiar. Like he heard it somewhere before. “… she’s dying. Please, help her. Please!”

And he thought she was already done for! One look at her told him that she’s hopeless with those fatal wounds. No other mortal could survive those.

But, of course, the being was still healing her despite her incorrigible state.

“Why are you still helping her?” He questioned, not caring about (Y/N)’s condition. “She’s dying. There’s nothing you could do to help her.”

The being glanced back at the girl, grasping her hands as tightly as she could as she still tried to heal her. “I,… never lost my faith in her,…” she explained, then looked up once more at him. **“… and neither in you, Vergil.”**

_Her voice,…_

The way she uttered his name plucked something in his heart. He knew he had seen her before, heard her voice even. He just couldn’t remember when or how exactly.

“Listen, what you are doing right now is,… futile.” Vergil urged on. “There is no power in this cruel world that could save that weak mortal. Accept her fate and face your one true Master.”

The being closed her eyes, her tears endlessly streaming down, and shook her head in denial.

Vergil sighed. He didn’t want to use the Yamato against her. The being was small and looked weak and fragile, like its resemblance. He knew he could obtain her and her power of immortality. He just needed one last push, or else,…

He pointed at the sky and spoke, “Her sister is wreaking havoc as I speak. If you do not come with me now, the whole world, and humanity, itself, will truly be annihilated, and you would no longer serve any kind of Master.” He prodded on, his patience slowly reaching its limit. “You do not want to make this any more difficult for the both of us.” He exclaimed, then extended a hand towards the being, wanting it to take it. “Come with me. Now.”

The being only looked at him, her facial expression quite difficult to read. “You must understand that, by acquiring my power, not only will you gain immortality, you will also gain the absolute knowledge of my current vessel.”

_**Absolute knowledge?**_ “I understand.”

“By my sister **Andromeda**, you became the **Protector of The Present**. By my sister **Cassandra**, you gained the **Aspect of The Future**. By me, the last of the Sisters of Fate, **you shall carry the burden of the past**. Do you understand?”

Vergil sighed. “Yes.”

The being inhaled, looking like it was actually contemplating its decisions like a normal human being.

Her emotions, her gestures,…

… those eyes,…

In fact, she really was like a normal human girl,…

“Do you, Vergil Sparda, accept all of these conditions?”

“I do.” He gave his unwavering answer.

“Then,” she answered, finally taking Vergil’s hand. “… **reunite**, we shall, Master Vergil. **I pray you do not regret,… your decision.**”

The moment their hands made contact, the last of the Sisters of Fate vanished, her body turning into little orbs. These orbs then went directly to Vergil’s skin, merging with him, becoming one with him,…

_ ** “V,…” ** _

When he finally succeeded in absorbing the last being, he heard a familiar female voice. His sight was abruptly stolen from him, making him drop the Yamato on the ground. His consciousness was swiftly brought to a place he didn’t know existed. He felt he was floating, hovering for a long time, and when he finally gained his sight back, he saw,…

… her memories.

**(Y/N)’s memories.**

**All of it.**

And they came crashing down in huge flashes before him,…

_ ** “I love you, Mama! I love you, Papa!” ** _

_ ** “STOP HURTING PAPA!” ** _

_ ** “NO! DON’T TAKE THEM AWAY! DON’T LEAVE US!” ** _

_ ** “I’m here, (S/N). I will never leave you,…” ** _

_ ** “What did you do to my sister?!” ** _

_ ** “I’m sorry,…” ** _

_ ** “Who are you?!” ** _

_ ** “ALL OF YOU, DIE!” ** _

_ ** “Where am I?!” ** _

_ ** “I was not perfect. And I failed to protect her because of it.” ** _

_ ** “There is,… someone,… in my visions. A man - with white hair. He plays the violin,…” ** _

_ ** “I must fulfill the wish!” ** _

_ ** “Nico, make this for me!” ** _

_ ** “I was looking for someone,…” ** _

_ ** “I said,… STAY!” ** _

_ ** “Nico, it’s him! The man in my visions! The one with the markings on his skin!” ** _

_ ** “I will protect you, V.” ** _

_ ** “Do you know Titanic, V?” ** _

_ ** “I think you should go see the world for yourself,…” ** _

_ ** “I want to know what’s bothering you,…” ** _

_ ** “V!” ** _

_ ** “V?” ** _

_ ** “V, please,…” ** _

_ **“I love you, V,…”** _

Vergil closed his eyes and covered his ears to shut the flood of memories away. He screamed, begging for the visions to stop plaguing him.

Then, everything went silent, as simple as that. He could no longer hear her voice, nor see her memories. It was as if the voices and the memories got sucked into oblivion, never to be seen again. The whole world was plunged into total darkness.

And then, he heard it. Another voice but, it sounded different. It did not feel chaotic. It was calm.

_ **“I’ve waited a hundred years. I’d wait,… a million more for you,…”** _

A male voice sang gently just when a little orb of light appeared from a distance. Vergil took a step forward, longing to reach its warmth and protection,…

_ **“Nothing prepared me for,… what the privilege of being yours would do,…”** _

Vergil was transported to a big empty studio where a man was sitting in front of a piano, singing those soothing words.

And then, he saw her right on the corner. It was (Y/N). And she looked just the same, long (H/C) hair tied in a ponytail, graceful movements, perfect posture,…

She looked very much alive and vibrant.

“That beautiful song,… what is it about?” She asked the man on the piano, her curiosity endearing, her voice achingly lovely.

**“It’s about a man who regrets the loss of a loved one and the woman who loves him the most. The love of his life. Whom he could no longer be with.”** He answered, playing some notes, then sang once more. _**“If I have only felt the warmth,… within your touch,…”**_

“Could you,…” she began, positioning herself in the middle of the empty room. “… start from the beginning?”

The man smiled as his hands gently glided on the keys once more.

And just as he began playing, Vergil heard a thunderclap. He turned to look at the windows and realized it was raining outside. He, then, glanced back at the middle of the room, and saw,…

… his former fragile self sitting on the floor with his first demonic familiar, Griffon, just behind him, watching (Y/N) as she began dancing to the man’s song.

He could still remember this exact moment on that abandoned studio that one rainy day. All he could hear by then was the sound of the rain, the thunder, and her light steps.

But, now, it was as if the two memories, his and hers, overlapped and merged into one sad vision, finally enabling him to hear the song she danced to and see once more how graceful and delicate she was.

With the sweet music, the sound of the rain and the thunder vanished. He listened as the man began playing and watched as the girl began dancing.

_ ** “I’ve waited a hundred years. ** _

_ **I’d wait a million more,… for you.** _

_ **Nothing prepared me for,** _

_ ** What the privilege of being yours,… would do. ** _

_ **If I had only felt,… the warmth within your touch.** _

_ **If I had only seen,… how you smile,… when you blush.** _

_ **Or how you curl your lip,… when you concentrate enough,** _

_ ** Oh, I would’ve known,… what I’ve been living for,… all along. ** _

_ ** What I’ve been living,… for.” ** _

The music gradually went louder as the girl began twirling, her raw movements in time with the music.

_ ** “Your love is my turning page, ** _

** _Where only the sweetest words,… remain._ **

_ ** Every kiss is a cursive line, ** _

_ **Every touch is a redefining phrase.** _

** _ I surrender who I’ve been,… for who you are. _ **

** _For nothing makes me stronger than,_ **

** _… your fragile heart._ **

** _ If I had only felt how it feels,… to be yours, _ **

** _Oh, I would’ve known,… what I’ve been living for,…_ **

** _… all along,…”_ **

He felt his tears fall down just as the former him began weeping with her movements alone.

He never actually felt,… how it feels to be hers,…

And now, he not only left her, he hurt her, as well,…

… for such a stupid thing as absolute power.

He chose power,… over her.

Over the woman,…

… he now knew he truly loved.

And not because she had the ability to lure Demons like what Fleminger told him, no.

It was because of who and everything she was.

** _ “What I’ve been living for.” _ **

“Ah! I’m so sorry! I would never do this again! I - ”

Vergil snapped from his reverie as he saw his former self hugging her tightly, not wanting to let her go.

“Hey, it’s okay.” She reassured him. “I’ll never leave you.**_I promise,…_** ”

All of a sudden, the sweet memory abruptly changed to that of the times when he neglected her, rejected her, and that moment when he,…

** _“I love you, V.”_ **

** _“I choose,… POWER!”_ **

But, still, the song remained,…

** _“Though we’re tethered,_ **

** _ To the story we would tell. _ **

** _ When I saw you, _ **

** _ Oh, I knew we’d tell it well,… _ **

** _With a whisper,… we will tame the vicious seas._ **

** _ Like a feather, _ **

** _Bringing kingdoms to,… their knees,…”_ **

** _“What matters is that you still have precious people around you, my Lady. You must focus on not losing them, as well.”_ **

** _“THE PAST WILL WEEP, THE PRESENT WILL KNEEL, AND THE FUTURE WILL DIE!”_ **

Vergil opened his eyes, feeling his tears on his face as he stared at her lifeless body on the ground. And when the thoughts of those painful visions went back to him,…

**… he fell on his knees,…**

… right before the woman he loved above all else.

And on that heart - wrenching moment, he suddenly felt his own sword drive through him, its tip sticking out of his stomach, dripping with his own blood.

And with that swift, decisive moment, the Sisters of Fate left his body and went directly to whoever stabbed him.

Just like that, they were stolen away from him.

He changed back to his former fragile self, crumbling, wheezing,…

… dying,…

**Vergil,… was no more.**

He felt the Yamato being pulled away from him as he coughed blood. He fell on the ground just beside (Y/N) and glanced up to find Fleminger with the Yamato.

“There was,… one vital part you didn’t know about the story of the Dreadnought, my Lord.” The Master, the true enemy and traitor, began, theatrically swinging the Yamato like a cane.

“F - flemin - g - ger,…” V wheezed, his blood staining the ground beneath him, his rage for the man, who was the cause of all this madness, overtaking his whole being.

“There has never been a Dreadnought, or a Shinano Musashi, to begin with. They were only made up. But,… there was a girl named (S/N) (L/N). She was the most perfect girl in all of existence, and my ancestors chose her to be the vessel of **Pandemonium**, a Demon whose powers rival that of Mundus’. Even greater.

"And **Pandemonium** did choose her eventually. My ancestors were about to achieve immortality through her when her sister, by the name of (Y/N) (L/N), happened to massacre almost all of them in rage, including the orphans they were raising. Apparently, she was chosen by three equally powerful beings - the Sisters Of Fate, **Cassandra**, **Andromeda**, and **Galatea** \- to fulfill another mission. And that mission is to locate you, protect you, and reunite the Sisters back to Sparda’s family.”

Flemiger walked around V, who was squirming in pain and cowering with fear.

“It seems she succeeded on that mission of hers. You obtained power through her, and I took it from you. I fulfilled my revenge on (Y/N) for murdering my ancestors, thanks to you, my Lord. And for that, I will forever be grateful.” The fiend expressed his sincere gratitude towards V. “Oh, and letting **Pandemonium**, who will only answer to me, destroy everything she wanted was only a collateral.”

Fleminger sheathed the Yamato and went to the opposite direction. But, before he left, he turned back to V and smiled at him. He even threw a piece of a familiar leather fabric at him. And in complete horror, he realized whose it was.

** _It belonged to him,…_ **

**_Nero,… _**V thought, his hopes shattering. **_My,… son,…_**

“Oh, and have I told you that Galatea, who was the Bearer of The Past, kept (Y/N)’s body safe and in stasis for a hundred years just for you? After all, she was the one who searched through different timelines for the perfect vessel. I did say that the tragedy of Fortuna happened a hundred years ago, am I right, my Lord?” He raised the Yamato at him like a salute of some sort then bowed. “Farewell, son of Sparda.”

And with those final words, Fleminger left him.

V felt the whole world around him fall apart as the Dreadnought - (S/N) - started firing her destructive lasers once more.

And who could blame her? After seeing her beloved sister suffer at the hands of the man she loved, could she still think of anyone worthy of redemption?

***

His hand went to the fatal wound on his stomach. The pain was actually going away as he slowly felt numbness taking over his whole body. Well, he was truly dying now.

And he will die just like that - alone, weak,…

… pathetic,…

And he knew he deserved it.

He crawled towards (Y/N) and reached for her cold hands. He, then, made an effort to pull her towards him for one last embrace.

It was then that he remembered their conversation inside the abandoned studio just after her dance.

**_“Can you quote something from Shakespeare?”_** He fondly remembered her asking him with a shy and awkward smile. **_“After all, Griffon always calls you Shakespeare,…”_**

** _“Oh, here will I set up,… my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of,… inauspicious stars from this,… world - wearied,… flesh!”_ **

V quoted, then coughed blood once more. He wrapped (Y/N) in his embrace, not wanting to let her go in this final moment.

** _ “… eyes look,… your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips,… oh you the doors of,… breath,… seal with a righteous kiss,… a dateless,… bargain,… to engrossing death,…” _ **

He gently kissed her forehead and took a deep breath, feeling the whole world around him vanish with complete darkness as his eyesight became blurry.

**“… if only,… I could go back,… and change,… everything,…”**

He whispered, regrets drowning him as his eyelids closed,…

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

** _ “Master, open your eyes!” _ **

** _“G - gala - t - tea?”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Kyrie  
Dante  
Nero  
You ( Reader )  
Nico  
Trish  
Lady  
Vergil / V  
Shadow  
Nightmare  
Griffon
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Fleminger  
Galatea  
Cassandra  
Andromeda
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Pandemonium / (S/N) (L/N)  
Gargoyle Demons in Germany
> 
> Music mentioned:
> 
> Sleeping At Last - Turning Page


	27. A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “… if only,… I could go back,… and change,… everything,…”

**_“Can you quote something from Shakespeare?”_** He fondly remembered her asking him with a shy and awkward smile. **_“After all, Griffon always calls you Shakespeare,…”_**

** _“Oh, here will I set up,… my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of,… inauspicious stars from this,… world - wearied,… flesh!”_ **

V quoted, then coughed blood once more. He wrapped (Y/N) in his embrace, not wanting to let her go in this final moment.

** _“… eyes look,… your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips,… oh you the doors of,… breath,… seal with a righteous kiss,… a dateless,… bargain,… to engrossing death,…”_ **

He gently kissed her forehead and took a deep breath, feeling the whole world around him vanish with complete darkness as his eyesight became blurry.

**“… if only,… I could go back,… and change,… everything,…”**

He whispered, regrets drowning him as his eyelids closed,…

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

** “Master, open your eyes!” **

**“G - gala - t - tea?”**

***

V opened his eyes, feeling a strange sensation of heaviness throughout his entire body, and saw, to his utter shock, the same, exact scene that unfolded a few hours earlier. It was when,…

"Mas,… ter, please,…” the girl pleaded once more, her bleeding hands on the blade of the Yamato that was driven through her stomach.

**_It,… can’t be!_** V thought as he saw the familiar surroundings. The monstrous Dreadnought, its massive heart, the fleshy interior of the demonic mechanism.

It’s as if,…

**… he’s gone back in time!**

But, how?!

Was it because of,… ?

** _“… if only,… I could go back,… and change,… everything,…”_ **

Those were his dying words and he remembered it like it was only seconds ago.

Did she,…?

Did the last of the Sisters of Fate listen to him and actually **fulfilled his wish?!**

After all, **Galatea is the Bearer of The Past**! If she can put (Y/N) in a stasis for a hundred years, then surely, bringing back time for only a few hours was a simple feat!

But, he never deserved it. He shouldn’t be alive.

** _This,… is impossible!_ **

“Galatea!” V gasped as he carefully pulled the Yamato from her. He threw the offensive, bloody weapon away and commanded Shadow to let her go. The demonic familiar immediately withdrew her spikes from her limbs and morphed back to her feline form, stepping away from her master and the girl as far away as she could in shame.

As weak as he was, he still managed to catch her in his arms before her injured and wounded body reached the ground. The moment his cracked skin made contact with hers, her body radiated with a blinding light that transformed into a pair of wings behind her back. And, as he expected, the wings, then, scattered like petals, transfiguring into two female forms.

And just like the first time it happened, the two female forms broke down into little orbs of light that merged with him, healing him and making him whole.

Galatea’s eyes, despite her pain, never wavered as she witnessed how V’s hair turned from black to white, how his eyes changed from green to silver, and how his old, tattered clothes diminished to be replaced by new, dark - colored ones that matched that of a warrior’s.

The Vergil she knew returned right before her very own eyes.

V, on the other hand, did not care with his own change. He knew that he, along with his **future** with (Y/N), died, he was sure of it.

** _But, now,…_ **

“Forgive me,…” Galatea wheezed as she placed her hands over her stab wound. “Pandemonium’s power was too great and the loss of humanity,… far too massive.”

“What do you mean?” Even his voice sounded different. It sounded like he was a total stranger.

“It took,… most of my power to undo what Pandemonium has done. To bring back,… every bit of fallen life, to rewrite history, to erase,… every mistake.

"My intention,… is to bring you back before all this,… misery. And,… it seems,… I have failed,…” Galatea’s words cut through V’s heart like a hot blade. It hurt him even more when he saw her summon what little power she had left to heal her - (Y/N)’s - body. “I was not able,… to bring Griffon back. I’m so,… sorry,…”

V carefully grasped her hands, feeling their warmth as her power surged through them to the wound. He thought his chest would not hurt more but, alas, he was wrong.

Griffon was, and would remain, dead. Because of him.

He shook his head as he let out a long sigh. “You have done enough. I beg you, please, tell me: **_why_**?”

“I told you.” She uttered, smiling at him as she held up a single, bloody hand to caress his cheek. **_“I never,… lost,… my faith in her,… and neither in you,… Vergil,…”_**

Those words,…

She said them to him when he was forcing her to acknowledge him as her one true Master. And after all of the crimes he has committed, he knew he will never be worthy of it, let alone be worthy of this second chance.

“My foolish wish,… does not deserve to be fulfilled.” V agonized as he gently held her in his arms. “I should be dead. I do not deserve to live,…”

“She wants you to,… live,…” Galatea answered, her voice getting softer and weaker by the second. “And she trusted you,… until the very end.”

“I do not deserve her! I chose power over her! I - ”

** _“And she will always forgive you,… no matter what. Because she loves you.”_ **

Galatea slowly closed her eyelids, letting her wounds heal, albeit laggardly.

V noticed this and spoke, “Where is she now? (Y/N)?”

“She’s safe. I took over her body for now. She would not remember a thing about all of this. You need not worry.” She answered, eyes still closed, as she concentrated on healing.

Upon hearing about his beloved’s safety, he could only let out a sigh of relief. And as he did so, a fresh batch of tears escaped his eyes. He smiled as he closed them, feeling grateful for the second chance that she offered him.

**A second chance,…**

“Thank you so much, Galatea.” He expressed his gratitude.

Galatea’s eyelids fluttered open at what he said. She looked at his eyes, searching for something he could not quite tell, then smiled at him, her own tears escaping her, as well.

However, the moment of peace did not last long as the smile from Galatea’s little lips vanished.

“You know what to do.” She told him. “Now, fulfill your own promise,… and change,… **everything**.”

The moment she uttered those words, a meteor - like crimson light suddenly crashed through the ceiling and landed on the ground before him. Its light subsided, revealing the form of his twin brother.

Of course! Dante would come. He knew it.

But, instead of going away, V stayed right beside Galatea, supporting her as his twin approached him.

On the other hand, being totally clueless of everything that was happening, the Devil Hunter’s eyebrows furrowed and his eyes seethed with rage as soon as he saw him with her.

“Ya got some pretty big cojones for comin’ back.” Dante gritted his teeth, summoning and drawing his own sword. “You just don’t know when to give up!”

“Dante,” V began as calmly as he could. “… listen to me very, very carefully,…”

“Why should I?”

“I know who the real enemy is.”

“What are you talking ab - ?” Dante began but was interrupted when he saw the discarded Yamato and the metal cane on the ground. His eyes wandered around the area and noticed Shadow the demonic feline cowering behind Vergil, and realized that V was missing and that the girl was bleeding. “You,… where is V?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO (Y/N)?!”

“Dante, listen to me - ”

“Take your hands off her. Now.”

V looked down at her, waiting for her signal, and when she nodded, he carefully laid her down on the ground. He stood up and faced his wrathful twin.

“Listen: V and I - ”

“You don’t have any business here! To think I mourned for your death and wept for Nero’s ignorance for killing his own father!”

“We don’t have time for this!” V tried to reason as he pointed at the massive heart, which was still pulsating steadily. “Pandemonium will rise any minute now, and we must prevent it from killing everyone!”

“Yeah! Coming from you?! Weren’t you the one who planted that demonic tree right on top of our house?! Weren’t you planning on killing everyone yourself?!”

**_It’s no use! Dante would not listen!_** V hysterically thought as he worriedly glanced back at Galatea. It left him with no other choice but to pick the Yamato up from the ground. However, his purpose was not to fight with his brother. He threw the weapon to Dante, who caught it just in time as he spread his arms wide, showing him that he really meant no harm.

“If you really must kill me, then do it!” V appealed as a last resort. “But, I beg you! Do something about Pandemonium! That,… Demon,… holds (Y/N)’s sister captive. You must set her free before it’s too late. And kill its master, Fleminger! He’s the one,… behind all this!”

For a moment, Dante was silent, looking as if he was actually contemplating his decisions, and a few seconds later, his lips cracked into what looked like a grin. He, then, shook his head as he began chortling, clearly mocking his elder brother’s incredulous, yet sincere, words.

It was then that V finally realized that his brother would never believe him. And who could blame him? After everything they’ve been through, the Devil Hunter would never listen to him.

V, or Vergil in Dante’s eyes, fell on his knees, his head bowed down low, humbling himself in front of the man. He looked up and pleaded for the very last time.

“My life is yours. Take it.” The poet begged. “I only ask you to stop Fleminger and Pandemonium,… before it’s too late.”

“Let’s end this, Vergil!” Dante spat out with much venom of hatred in his voice as he dropped the Yamato on the ground and raised his own weapon. The man morphed into his full Devil form and charged at V at full speed, his anger towards his brother clouding his judgment.

V closed his eyes, waiting for the weapon to cut through him,…

All of a sudden, a blue Demon with white hair and a pair of golden eyes landed between him and Dante, stopping the Legendary Devil Hunter with both hands and his translucent pair of blue wings.

**It’s his son, Nero!**

“What the hell?!” Dante gasped as he changed back to his mortal form. “Nero?!”

“This ends, right here.” Nero calmly spoke as he changed back to his mortal form.

Dante stood up and strode towards the young man. “Listen to me: this is not your - !” But, his words were abruptly cut off as one of Nero’s strange wings formed into a fist and punched him in the cheek, sending him flying all the way to the other side of the room ( not to mention a few fallen teeth that flew along with him ).

His son came at the right moment and V took this as an opportunity to grab Galatea off the ground and carry her to safety.

“**YOU** listen, **DEADWEIGHT**.” Nero faced his uncle as he flexed his fist - like demonic wings. “I won’t let you kill each other. There are other ways of settling your differences.”

He strode closer to Dante, his aura alone making the man submit. The boy did obtain his true power.

But, how?

It seemed that the question would be answered at another time.

“I’m putting a stop,… to this sibling rivalry.”

“And you came all this way just to say that?” Dante, who was still lying on the ground, massaging his aching cheek, asked.

“No.” Nero flatly answered. He, then, turned towards V and Galatea. “It’s because of **her**. Nico asked me to watch over (Y/N). And now, it looks like we have a bigger problem ahead of us.”

“Thank you for understanding, Nero.” V told the boy, his uncharacteristically calm tone clearly baffling the two Devil Hunters. It was as if the pride in Vergil’s voice completely vanished. He was,… gentler and more careful,… much to Dante’s utter confusion.

**In fact, he sounded a lot like - !**

“You’re not gonna die here,” The boy went on, then turned back to his uncle. “… and neither are you, Dante. We’ll finish this battle quick, then we’ll settle this. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Not gonna die, my ass!” The Devil Hunter in red whined as he sat up and winced in pain, unnerved to know that he was actually missing some teeth. Well, they will grow back but, it will take a while! “That bitch slap nearly killed me!”

“We must go down immediately.” V interjected. “We have to face Fleminger to end his schemes.”

“Whatever. I don’t really care.” Dante snapped as he laid back down on the ground. “I’m just gonna sit this one out.”

“NO ONE’S SITTING THIS ONE OUT!” Finally losing his patience with his thick - headed uncle, Nero grabbed Dante by the jacket and made him stand by force. “I said we’ll settle this - TOGETHER!”

“Yeah, the family that kicks ass together, stays together. Sounds legit.” Dante whispered the snide comment which was not missed by the boy’s sharp ears.

“What did you just say?”

“That,” Dante pointed at V. “… is your father.”

“What?!” Nero mumbled in disbelief as he turned to look at V once more. But, the man had already turned away from them as he made his way towards the pulsating heart of the Dreadnought. “That’s,… impossible!”

“Hah! Not in this world we live in.” Dante answered.

As V made his way towards the heart, he felt a strange power emanating from it. (S/N) has not yet sensed her sister’s pain but, he knew that eventually, she will.

And he must do something to prevent her from waking up. For now.

With Galatea still in his arms, he faced the massive heart and began whispering to it.

“What is he doing to that fleshy thing?” Nero asked Dante.

The injured uncle just shrugged his shoulders. “Beats me. After losing his demonic, blood - thirsty maniac half, he’s become somewhat of a weirdo,…

"Wait. **_Weirdo_**,…”

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing.” Dante lied. He had a wild theory but, that would be totally impossible, right?!

After all, **V** and **Vergil**,…

Dante’s eyes widened in realization.

Shadow, that metal cane, (Y/N),…

“Oh, damn! They’re the same person!” He exclaimed, making Nero glance at him like he has gone mad.

“(S/N), I know you can hear me.” V spoke to the heart. “I can end your suffering, set you free and give you eternal rest. You are not a bad person,… I know. You’re doing all of this for your sister.” He closed his eyes for a while and sighed, hoping he’s doing the right thing. “We’ll take care of her, keep her safe, and go after the man who imprisoned you for a hundred years. I swear I’ll end him with my own hands. I only ask you to bring us down and command your Demons to cease their attack on humanity. I beg you, (S/N). Please,…”

At that exact moment, Trish and Lady were still fighting against the demonic horde below. And they were rapidly getting outnumbered by the second.

“I’m losing my strength.” Trish admitted as she stopped attacking for a while.

Lady, who joined her side, was heaving heavily, fatigue already catching up to her much to her dismay. “Yeah. Me, too.”

“Who’s the lead?”

“Ninety - six against eighty - four. I lead.”

Trish laughed at Lady. “I think you got it all wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter now. They’re coming straight at us!”

And Lady was right, for right before them stood hundreds more of Demons, all bloodthirsty, ready to kill them.

The ladies looked at them with tired, yet brave, eyes. Lady drew her weapon and Trish channeled her powers. If they shall die here, then they’ll die defying these monstrosities and not let them have the last laugh.

“The bet’s still on, right?” Lady taunted.

“Hmm, now that you mentioned it,” Trish quipped, a cunning smile creeping up the side of her lips. “… let’s add in a day at the spa. And the loser has to clean Devil May Cry’s bathroom for a week.”

“Now, you’re talking!” Lady answered, accepting the challenge. “I’ll even make you wear a maid’s uniform while we’re at it.”

“Let’s do this!”

As they were about to attack, the Demons froze as if they lost their will to fight. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that the women thought something worse was about to happen.

“What’s wrong with these guys?” Lady asked as she observed the Demons’ behavior.

“I have no idea.”

“WOOHOO!”

The ladies heard a familiar ( and obnoxious ) yell as they saw the huge, white vehicle speeding towards them. The trailer ( or the driver ), then, mercilessly ran over several, still unmoving, Demons as it made its way towards them, splattering Demon blood and guts everywhere. It stopped a mere inches away from them.

Nico’s head popped out of the window.

“Hey, ladies!” The freckled woman happily exclaimed as she filled the air around her with cigarette smoke. “Need a ride?”

“Because the bigger one left us and took off?” Lady innocently asked.

“What are you talking about? Look!” Nico yelled as she pointed at the sky with two tattooed fingers.

The ladies looked up and saw the Dreadnought coming down from above.

“Wow, that heavy - looking thing could sure move.” Lady spoke as she watched the demonic mechanism descend.

“We’ll take that offer of yours, if you don’t mind.” Trish sweet - talked as she opened the door of the vehicle, letting herself in.

“Hey, don’t kill us with your mad driving skills, okay?” Lady warned as she, too, entered the trailer.

“Me? Kill anyone with my drivin’? That’s insane!”

“We’re really landing!” Nero made an effort to stay standing as he felt the tremors beneath his feet. “How is your brother doing this?”

“You know you should start calling him your dad now.” Dante, who was right beside his nephew, answered like the good old uncle that he was. “And get used to it.”

“I don’t understand! How did that happen?”

To this, Dante just rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you know nothing about the birds and the bees. Because, I would be really disappointed in you, dear nephew.”

“Don’t fuck with me!” Nero glowered as he unfurled his wings, ready to knock out more of Dante’s teeth.

“Thank you, (S/N).” V spoke as he glanced back at his bickering family members. Seeing them like that, he honestly thought that they would become the most dysfunctional family there was but, at least it’s something. And it’s better than nothing.

It’s better than being alone,…

Dante and Nero immediately stopped as soon as they saw the weird smile on V’s face. The Legendary Devil Hunter strode towards him and Galatea, wanting to confirm his suspicions. Nero, who was really curious, followed suit.

“You know,” Dante began, noticing, for the first time, that his brother’s smile looked somewhat familiar. “… you kinda remind me of someone. You sure you’re my brother?”

V, still Vergil in the eyes of the two men, grinned and tilted his head to the side, further confirming Dante’s wild theory. “And may I ask… what made you say that?”

Dante clicked his tongue. “That oversized house cat of yours was hissing at me nonstop since I arrived here.” And he was saying the truth - Shadow, who just bared her fangs, was extremely angry at him.

“It’s only natural.”

“Aren’t you gonna pick up that cane? Oh, wait. You don’t need it anymore.”

“It depends.”

“Aren’t you gonna give (Y/N) back?”

“No. And she doesn’t belong to you.”

“And you get to decide that?”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Nero interjected, temporarily stopping the argument between the two. And when the Dreadnought finally landed, V called his attention.

“Please, take care of Galatea.” He requested his son, glancing at her healing wounds every once in a while. “Bring her to Nico and make sure she’s safe. Then, I want you to follow me and Dante to the mansion.”

“Galatea?” Nero questioned. “But, that’s - !”

“I know. I’ll explain later.”

“Whatever you say.” Nero obliged as he took the girl from V’s arms.

“Hey,” Dante said as he handed the Yamato back to V. “… you’ll need this.”

The poet glanced at the weapon on his hand. It held many bad memories but, he knew he must overcome them and change them into something worthwhile.

And he had Galatea to thank for that.

“Vergil,” she whispered to him before being taken away by Nero. “… take care of yourself.”

And at that strange, yet warm, moment, he remembered _**something**_. He may have to confront Cassandra later for it but, for now, he should let his savior know that he finally **_remembered_**,…

“I will,… **Little Lamb**.”

Galatea’s eyes widened as tears poured out of her already puffy eyes. She smiled as she closed her eyes, letting herself rest in the arms of the young Devil Hunter.

As soon as the two were gone, V faced Dante and nodded at him.

“You ready, V?” Dante asked, his Devil form taking over him once more for the final fight.

“What evil lurks,” The poet began as the Protector of The Present’s light engulfed him. “… I must destroy!”

***

“Master,” Reginald whispered at Fleminger, not wanting to disturb the ongoing ceremony at the massive room beneath the mansion. “… we have failed. The Demons have ceased their attack. The Dreadnought has fallen!”

The Master of the house nodded at him as he listened to the prayers of the people before him.

“And so,” he muttered as quietly as he could. “… we shall now call upon our Master.”

Reginald nodded as he glanced at the middle of the room where a strange, demonic idol was situated. On the ground beneath it was a ritual circle written in blood, and around it were the people who went on chanting their prayers.

** _“Venit ergo Pandemonium. Venit ergo Pandemonium. Dona nobis virtutem tuam. Det nobis vitam aeternam. Venit ergo Pandemonium. Venit ergo Pandemonium,…”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> V  
You ( Reader )  
Dante  
Nero  
Trish  
Lady  
Nico
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Galatea  
Fleminger  
Reginald Whodunnit
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Shinano Musashi / Dreadnought / (S/N) (L/N)


	28. One Last Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Little wanderer,... hie thee home!"

An old Priest bravely came forward despite his trembling knees, holding up his crucifix in hopes of warding off the Demons.

** _“Sáncte Michael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio,…”_ **

The enemies fell silent, looking at each other, confused of what’s going on. The priest took this as an opportunity to keep praying.

** _“Cóntra neqúitiam et insídias diáboli - ”_ **

One by one, the enemies started laughing at his words, clearly not affected by his prayer.

With sweat running cold and courage slowly diminishing, the poor old Priest went on, **_“… ésto p - p - præsídium. Ímperet ílli Déus - ”_**

One of the Demons came forward and mockingly uttered the prayer with the frightened Priest. **_“… SÚPPLICES DEPRECÁMUR: TUQUE, PRÍNCEPS MILÍTIÆ CÆLÉSTIS -_**

**_“… SÁTANAM!” _**The Demons finished for him as they laughed and insulted.

The poor old Priest was about to lose all hope when, all of a sudden, the enemies abruptly stopped laughing. Little by little, the smiles on their horrendous faces vanished, to be replaced by expressions of either pain or depression.

Then, all of them stopped moving, frozen and rooted to the ground. This gave the Priest enough motivation to keep on praying.

**_“… súpplices deprecámur: tuque, prínceps milítiæ cæléstis, Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos,”_** The Priest prayed with renewed courage as the Demons seemingly cowered before him and his crucifix. **_“… qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo, divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde.”_**

** _ “Ámen!” _ **

The people of the church looked behind them upon hearing the loud voice of an old woman who just finished the prayer. And when they saw three old nuns, one bearing a pail of water, and the other two wielding procession crosses, they couldn’t help but chuckle and be worried at them at the same time.

“WWWAAAHHH!” Their leader, the one bearing the pail, howled like a warrior and charged straight at the Demons, almost tackling the old Priest on the way. She doused the nearby enemies with that suspicious water, and lo and behold, the fiends actually shrieked in pain as their hideous skin melted!

It was holy water!

“HHHOOOAAAHHH!” The other two nuns bearing the crosses then charged at the enemies, driving the pointed bejeweled things through the Demons’ heart and successfully killing them.

The nun with the pail addressed the people as her two comrades did the “Demon Hunting”.

“Tränkt die Dämonen in Weihwasser!” She said in instruction for the people to fetch themselves a pail of holy water. “Dann durchstoße sie mit diesem zeremoniellen Kreuz!” She, then, pointed at the two nuns who were still skewering some holy water - soaked Demons.

“Lasst uns diese gottlosen Dinge zurück in die feurigen Gruben der Hölle schlagen!” The old Priest, who was more than ready to fight the enemies, began howling. **“ANGRIFF!”**

As the people started working together, fetching procession crosses, or anything that’s sharp, and pails of water from the back of the church and letting the old Priest bless them to “weaponize” them, Kyrie made her way towards the altar and leaned against the lectern. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth as tears began pouring out. She, then, removed the hand from her mouth and placed it against her belly.

She cried tears of happiness.

“We’re saved.” She whispered as she rubbed her belly, now with both hands. “Your **daddy** saved us. **Nero**,… saved us!”

Meanwhile, at the other side of the globe, Nico, Trish, and Lady were staring at Shadow the feline demon as she sat in front of them, seemingly guarding the human who was sitting on the sofa just behind her. The strange human girl, whose clothes were stained with blood, just glanced calmly at them, unmoving, emotionless,…

… and she was clutching at her mid - section as she healed it with her equally strange power.

“Uhh, so who are you again?” The tattooed woman carefully asked the stranger.

“You can call me Galatea.” The girl answered.

“Hey, I thought that’s (Y/N)?” Lady whispered to Trish, still wary of her movements as Shadow stared at them.

“Perhaps.” Galatea answered for her, making them even more baffled.

“What do you mean by that?” Trish bravely asked her.

The Bearer of The Past smiled at her as she closed her eyes. “… we are connected,… by that one **feeling**. Her branches mixed with mine,… and our roots,… together joined.”

Nico’s jaw dropped open as she slowly nodded. She looked once more at the huge demonic cat as it remained vigilant on the floor. “I think,…” she began. “I know what kind of feeling you’re talking about. Yeah. You and her are definitely the same.”

Trish and Lady only nodded.

They were all thinking of the same thing.

The mystic words, the feline familiar, her languid eyes,…

**_Oh, damn!_** The three women thought simultaneously. **_She’s just like V!_**

** _ *** _ **

By that time, the moon had already risen high above the night sky.

V and Dante cautiously made their way inside the mansion, looking for the man behind all the demonic attacks. Knowing the location of Fleminger’s office by memory, the poet led the way, and when they finally opened the ornate wooden door, something made them stop right on their tracks.

The office, itself, looked as neat and as tidy as the first time he was there but, an awfully foul smell of rotten corpses combined with sulfur was wafting around the area. The scent was even more appalling than the Dreadnought’s insides.

The brothers covered their noses in disgust.

“Big fancy room? Funky smell?” Dante spoke in a muffled voice. “Ugh! We’re definitely in the right place! So, where’s the boss?”

V did not answer. Instead, he glanced at the portraits of the pale people on the walls.

“Where could an intellectual man such as Fleminger hide a secret room?” The poet mused as he searched through (Y/N)’s memories in his mind like an archive of some sort. He may have gone back in time but, her memories still clung to him after being acknowledged by the Bearer of The Past. He knew (Y/N) have a clue. After all, she had the first hand experience with Fleminger’s ancestors.

And as V searched for clues in his mind, Dante began moving objects around the room, looking for buttons, trapdoors, anything.

The poet was still thinking when his twin found the old record on the small table near the wall. Being Dante and all, he smirked, poking fun at it despite the situation.

“Eh? Who knew he still keeps an ancient thing around here?” The Legendary Devil Hunter stated as he played the record,…

** _“On the farm, every Friday._ **

** _On the farm, it’s rabbit pie day,…”_ **

“Huh, that’s funny. Today’s Friday! What are the odds,…” Dante said to himself as he placed his fingers on the fragile vinyl and started turning the record in the opposite direction.

** _“Nur, nur, nur, nur, tibbar nur, tibbar nur,_ **

** _Nugs remraf eht soeg gnab, gnab, gnab, gnab,_ **

** _Nur, nur, nur, tibbar nur, tibbar nur,_ **

** _Nur, nur, nur, tibbar nur, tibbar nur,”_ **

** _“Run, rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,_ **

** _Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Goes the farmer’s gun!”_ **

“Hehe, that sounded awful. Sorry about that.” Dante apologized as he let the record play normally.

As the music played, (Y/N)’s memories of a familiar scene flashed through V’s mind. It was when the uptight woman made them dance to the tune of a broken melody that was being played on an old record,…

“Is this,… the same thing?” V questioned as he glanced down at the vintage mechanism, carefully touching it with his light fingers.

He searched through the memories once more, looking for more clues, until he finally arrived at the moment where (Y/N) actually saw the woman playing that thing on the record.

“Hey, Mr. Poetry, what are you doing?” Dante inquired as he saw V rummaging through the drawers in search of something.

“It must’ve survived the onslaught. Fleminger’s grandmother must’ve brought it with her.”

“The what?”

“That thing.” V answered as he took out the oldest looking piece of record he could find. He stopped the music by raising the tone arm and pulling the cueing lever up. He then moved the tone arm over to the resting place and pressed the stop button.

Dante tapped his toes impatiently as the poet placed the old record on the platter of the player. Making sure that the speed was correct, V pressed play and raised the cueing lever. He aligned the tone arm with the record and dropped it carefully.

And as the first few notes of the sickly sweet music began, (Y/N)’s memories of Fleminger’s grandmother flashed through his mind.

**_“Perfection is everything.”_** He could almost hear her say in front of the dancing orphans. **_“There is no true beauty without worldly perfection. Eternal redemption is the reward for attaining worldly perfection. And those who could not achieve this perfection,… have no right to stand before the true god, Pandemonium.”_**

“That sure looks graceful,…”

“I beg your pardon?”

V watched with wide eyes as Dante pointed at something behind him. He turned and saw, in utter horror, a ghost of a mutilated lady dancing to the tune of the sweet music in the middle of the room.

“Yeah, just perfect,…” the younger twin muttered in sarcasm as he watched the mutilated lady dance whilst parts of her flesh fall down from her rotting body to the floor.

“It is perfection.”

“Excuse me?!”

“The Pale Ones wanted to achieve earthly perfection by creating girls such as this.” V explained. “They wanted a perfect sacrifice for Pandemonium’s vessel. And this girl happened to have failed on achieving perfection. Thus, she was doomed to dance for eternity like that.”

“How did you even know that?”

V only smirked at Dante. “I just know things which others doesn’t.”

“Whatever.”

The twins watched as the painful dance commenced and when the doomed dancer finally stopped, pointing at something behind them, the music also came to a close.

The two looked behind them to see a really large portrait of Fleminger’s pale grandmother smiling sinisterly down at them. They, then, heard an ugly and wet - sounding thud against the floor. They looked back and noticed that the dancer’s arm has fallen to the floor, its finger still pointed at the portrait. After that morbid display, the doomed dancer finally vanished into thin air.

“I don’t ever wanna see that again.” Dante monotonously uttered.

“Agree.” V replied with the same tone. “So, we’ll set her free. And the others.”

“How do we do that?”

V glanced back at Fleminger’s grandmother and grinned. “This woman knows how,…”

*

** _“Venit ergo Pandemonium. Venit ergo Pandemonium. Dona nobis virtutem tuam. Det nobis vitam aeternam. Venit ergo Pandemonium. Venit ergo Pandemonium,…”_ **

The Pale Ones went on praying as Fleminger situated himself in the middle of the evil rune near the demonic idol. He closed his eyes, holding up his huge palms in front of the statue,…

**“JACKPOT!” **The Pale Ones heard a loud and distinct voice as the walls crumbled, revealing the Sparda twins.

“Jack,… pot.” V muttered poetically, his image of the fearful Vergil giving him a weird vibe. “So, it is written.”

“Honestly, are you really my brother?” The red twin asked as he summoned the Devil Sword Dante. “Because Vergil would never say that. Not in a million years.”

“What’s the harm in trying?” V answered humorously as he drew the Yamato in preparation for battle. “After all,… **_a truth that’s told with bad intent,… beats all the lies,… you can invent.”_**

Dante smirked at V’s words as he drew his own weapon, ready and pumped up for the fight. “So, it is written! Or whatever that was!”

The Pale Ones removed their heavy robes as they transformed into gargoyle - like Demons with long sharp claws, twisted horns, and equally twisted teeth.

“Now, that suits you better!” Dante quipped as he fought against the Demons all by himself.

Meanwhile, V had another enemy to confront.

“My Lord,” Fleminger clasped his hands as he put on his vulnerable look and pleaded. “ …it seems that you have gained your power.”

“I did.” The poet answered as he pointed the Yamato at him. “Now, set (S/N)’s soul free, along with others you enslaved for a hundred years, or I’ll use my newly obtained power against you and your horde.”

“You don’t understand, my Lord! (S/N), and the rest of the orphans, we need them to defeat the Dreadnought! We need them to kill (Y/N) - ”

“And summon Pandemonium through your chosen vessel?” V cut him off as he channeled his power to the Yamato. “(Y/N)’s sister would not like that now, would she?”

Fleminger grinned nervously as he realized that he had no other choices left. The Sons of Sparda already knew about the truth!

But, how?!

“Then, I’ll be the vessel, AND NOT (S/N)!”

V watched as Fleminger touched the image of Pandemonium. It gave him massive power as it engulfed him with crimson light.

“What the hell?!” Dante muttered as the enemy transformed into a huge and hideous Demon with scales, three pairs of wings, and a pair of twisted horns. His form was too big that it took up most of the space.

“I WILL OBTAIN POWER,… AND IMMORTALITY!” Fleminger howled, his monstrous voice booming and deafening. “THERE IS NO NEED FOR PERFECTION! THERE IS NO NEED,… FOR A USELESS VESSEL! I WILL OBTAIN,… EVERYTHING! I WILL BECOME,… PANDEMONIUM!”

“THEN, FUCK YOU!”

The brothers turned just in time as they saw Kyrie Eleison coming out of the wall they just busted, glowing and soaring through the air. And riding it was none other than Nero, himself. The youth revved the vehicle and landed right at Fleminger’s face, its spiky front wounding it, making his dark blood splatter on the ground as he howled in pain.

“Is that my son, or is he yours?” V innocently asked as he watched Nero drove Fleminger out of the room, making a new hole in the wall behind them. “Because, I’m very sure that we have no resemblance, at all. And he acts just like you.”

Dante looked at him in surprise. “No resemblance, my ass! And how did you find out?”

“I told you.” The elder brother answered as they followed the boy and the Demon outside. “I just know things,…”

Nero managed to throw Fleminger out using Kyrie Eleison, and as the massive Demon calling himself Pandemonium scrambled to his feet, unable to see due to his wounds, his servant Reginald, who mysteriously just popped out of nowhere, came to his rescue.

“KILL THEM!” He commanded.

“Naturally, Master.” Reginald answered as he stood before Nero and transformed into a Fury - like Demon but, this time, this creature did not have the power of lightning. He raised his scaled arm, pointing his claw at the sky, and when he brought it down, the ground before him split, and fire erupted from it. He, then, vanished with a crimson blur, ready to kill Nero.

“YOU’RE NOT FAST ENOUGH!” Nero bellowed as he changed into his Devil form and matched the Flame Fury’s speed, successfully stopping Reginald with his pair of blue fist - like wings.

“WHAT FORM OF POWER IS THIS?!” Reginald howled in disbelief.

“Okay! Time to join in the fun!” Dante exclaimed as he made his way towards Pandemonium, only to be stopped by Fleminger’s gargoyle underlings. “What?! You again?! You just don’t know when to give up!” He raised his sword and pointed at them. “Okay, I’m gonna start with,…” his sword, then, landed on the Demon to his right. “… YOU!” He announced as he morphed into his Devil form and began fighting.

Fleminger was about to get up but, he fell down once more as he felt something strange within his whole body. He tried to use his power but, he failed.

“You are not perfect.” V informed him as he pointed the Yamato at him. “You could never wield Pandemonium’s power! And you would never achieve immortality!”

“I’LL KILL YOU ALL THE SAME!” Fleminger boomed as he got up and blindly charged at V, flailing his massive claws and destroying everything in his path. The poet easily dodged and evaded each and every erratic attack, all the while wounding the massive Demon in places to disable him. V made one last slash with the Yamato and wounded Fleminger on the stomach, making him fall. Until the very end, Pandemonium did not acknowledge him as its vessel.

Just when they thought that they finally defeated the Demon, it started squirming on the ground, his wounds radiating with a strange light as if something was trying to come out of them. And just when Nero dealt the final blow on Reginald and when Dante brought down the last gargoyle, the Master stood up, its eyes rapidly changing color as it started rampaging mindlessly about. Then, as it opened its mouth, a powerful light in the form of a crimson laser erupted from it, destroying the mansion before it.

It was the same laser that annihilated everything from the apocalyptic future that V just came, or escaped, from.

Pandemonium was trying to get out of Fleminger’s corrupted body but, it couldn’t.

V sensed this immediately as he prepared to finish it with the help of the Protector of The Present’s power. It must be destroyed, at all cost! Or else, the dark future would still occur, and he could not let that happen! Not now when Galatea entrusted the future of humanity to him!

However, the Aspect of The Future took hold of his mind once again, showing him bits of the future.

** _A book, a meteorite, a shower of destructive light,…_ **

** _… an Angel,…_ **

Cassandra showed him these things. And these things would occur in a few moments,…

The poet’s eyes widened as he snapped back from his reverie.

“We’ll end this!” Dante howled as he made his way towards the rampaging Demon.

“I’m with you!” Nero answered as he joined his uncle.

“STOP!”

Uncle and nephew alike halted, unnerved at V’s word.

“We can’t let that thing live!” Dante screamed at him as he raised his sword. “It will destroy everything!”

“ARE WE GONNA KILL THIS FUCKER, OR WHAT?!” Nero howled, his golden eyes seething with wrath.

V calmly went closer towards the rampaging Demon, placing himself between his family and it.

“Let me handle this.” The poet simply told them as he bowed down low. He, then, raised his left hand and snapped his fingers, summoning the golem. It fell down from the sky in the form of a meteor that destroyed everything beneath it.

But, instead of forming into the dark creature called Nightmare, it merely stayed in liquid state, its massive violet eye hovering above the ground, radiating a weak kind of light.

Cassandra showed him this, and she was right, as always.

V smirked as he took out his book - his beloved illustrated William Blake anthology. He opened it and started reading as the violet eye slowly regained form.

**_“The Angel that presided o'er my birth,”_** V began reading as the creature rapidly pulsated before him. **_“…said, ‘little creature, form’d of joy and mirth, go love without the help of any thing on Earth.’”_**

Meanwhile, back in the trailer, as V read the passage from the book, Shadow the feline familiar radiated with light, making her hover above the ground.

“W - what’s happening to that kitty?!” Nico stuttered nervously as she pointed at Shadow.

“Get away from her!” Trish commanded as she channeled her powers. “She might be dangerous!”

“Please, calm down.” Galatea firmly said as she remained unfazed on the sofa.

“What’s going on with her?!” Lady questioned her in panic.

“Vergil’s Nightmares would be,… no more,…” Galatea answered, still calm. “By the power of the Sisters of Fate, these Nightmares,…”

** _“SHALL BE CLEANSED!”_ **

Dante and Nero looked all over the place, trying to find that familiar voice. And as the two men looked at the little orbs of light forming above V, seemingly bearing the metal cane that was forgotten on the Dreadnought, the three women inside the trailer looked in shock as the contract markings on (Y/N)’s right arm returned.

But, this time, the markings were not black and inky in appearance. The contract formed in beautiful swirls of shimmering gold and midnight blue. And as it was completed, it radiated with blue - colored currents on (Y/N)’s arm.

V smirked as he witnessed the orbs forming into one creature - a five foot - tall boy with skinny features. He had a pair of the most gorgeous midnight blue wings that glowed, and a golden horn protruding from the middle of his forehead.

Dante and Nero’s jaw dropped open as the creature spread both his wings and his arms, completing the transformation.

He opened his pair of golden eyes and smiled, showing them his jagged teeth and blue tongue.

“Aww, and ya honestly thought I’d be gone for good, eh, kids? SHAME ON YA FOR THINKIN’ THAT!” The boy quipped as he threw the metal cane at V, who caught it just in time as the boy pointed at him with a dark - nailed finger. “And, you! Such a high maintenance ya sure are! Have ye come to yer senses, eh Shakespeare?”

“I did not just come to my senses,” the poet answered like he was greeting an old friend. “… I have finally awakened from my mistakes.”

“Is that? Is t - that - ?!” Nero stuttered as he pointed at the boy, his eyes wide open.

“Damn! It’s the LITTLE CHICKEN!” Dante confirmed, still not able to believe his own eyes.

“MADE YA LOOK!” Griffon, now in his cleansed human form, answered as he turned at the rampaging Demon. He, then, spread his fingers, summoning a golden staff that looked like a lightning rod. Showing his jagged teeth through his wide smile, he pointed the rod at the sky and spread his wings. “FUCK YEAH!”

At those obscene words, Griffon was able to rain down multiple blasts of lightning from the sky that pierced through the Demon’s body like an endless barrage of silver bullets.

V opened his book once more and read another passage.

** _ “I curse my stars in bitter grief,… and woe,… that made my love,… so high,… and me,… so low,…” _ **

The violet eye that was hovering above the ground cracked like glass, letting a blinding form of light radiate from it.

A few seconds later, as the light subsided, all of them saw the golem’s cleansed form - a white - armored Angel that stood eight feet tall, with three pairs of wings made purely out of light and a golden halo atop his head. The Angel carried a huge, heavy - looking metallic staff that radiated with the same light as the Protector of The Present. And as the Demon fired another destructive laser, V’s most powerful familiar pointed its weapon at it, channeling its power and countering the attack with a laser of its own but, much more powerful. The Angel, that was once called Nightmare, easily overpowered the Demon, its laser of judgment coming down at it and melting its demonic exterior, exposing the human inside. V saw this and hastily made his move, charging at it with his metal cane and the Yamato raised high above his head.

Fleminger opened his eyes and saw the son of Sparda above him, about to end his life. The metal cane and the Yamato pierced through his heart, making his eyes open wide in total disbelief.

“I,… lost,… it seems,…” Fleminger whispered.

**_“Little wanderer,”_** V began. **_“… hie thee home.”_**

***

The three descendants of Sparda, all tired and filthy, made their way towards the fallen Dreadnought in the middle of the ruined city as Griffon, the not - little - chicken, flew above them.

“Make it fast, slowpokes!” He mocked with his obnoxious voice.

“Easy for you to say!” Nero retorted. “Just you wait! I don’t care if you’re a human or what! I’ll still pluck your feathers when I get my strength back!”

“Can we just make this fast?” Dante complained, heaving heavily with each and every step. “I’m beat! I just wanna take a rest.”

All four of them went directly towards the heart, which, apparently, stopped pulsating a long time ago. V touched it with a single hand and spoke to it.

“It’s okay now. You are free.”

At his words, the heart burst open, spilling blood and guts all over the place and making all of them even filthier than ever before. The girl inside was about to collapse when V caught her just in time. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“M - my s - sister?”

“She’s safe. The Pale Ones are gone. You can take a rest now.”

“Please,… take care,… of my sister,…”

V listened to her, taking her words and instilling them to his heart like an eternal vow. He, then, nodded.

“I will take care of her for as long as I exist,” he gave his honorable answer. “… I promise.”

The poor tortured girl smiled as she closed her eyes, finally taking her peaceful eternal rest, along with the souls of the other orphans that Fleminger’s ancestors enslaved for a hundred years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> Kyrie  
Nico  
Trish  
Lady  
Shadow  
V / Vergil  
Dante  
Nero  
Griffon ( cleansed form )  
Nightmare ( cleansed form )
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> German Priest  
Three German Nuns  
Galatea  
Cassandra  
Andromeda  
(S/N) (L/N)
> 
> Demon(s):
> 
> Fleminger / Pandemonium  
Reginald Whodunnit / Flame Fury  
The Pale Ones / Gargoyle Demons


	29. He Who Regrets

_She managed to acquire it for a very low and reasonable price. After all, who would use an old record now, especially with the booming technological culture that was steadily becoming popular with the younger generation?_

_She placed the delicate thing on her glass top table and took a good long look at it. Dante would pick her up any minute now, and she must definitely get ready for the mission ahead ( this time, a couple of magic - wielding higher Demons )._

_However, for some strange reason, she couldn't shake the urge that she must play at least one song with it._

_With that in mind, and her strong belief in intuition ( not to mention Cassandra's constant meddling ), she picked up the vinyl record she bought along with the old instrument and proceeded to the task. And with a little help from an almost useless and age - old manual ( its pages were yellow and crumbling at the edges ) that came with the merchandise, she finally managed to play the song. She took a few steps away from the table and allowed the sweet, old music to soothe and calm her senses._

_She closed her eyes, letting the melody sink in,..._

_... when a vision suddenly flashed through her mind._

_She opened her eyes once more, unable to believe her wicked sense of premonition ( or Cassandra's ) and allowed the vision to take over her entire mind._

_And in that vision, she saw herself dancing the waltz with someone - a tall man clad completely in black. They were dancing to the same music that she was listening to, in the middle of the summer night, on a beautiful, Grecian balcony, below the starry, evening sky, the full moon shining above them._

_It was,... simply perfect,..._

_But, who was that man?_

_The vision ended as soon as she opened her eyes._

_However, something near the window startled her. She took a good long look at it as it slowly materialized, and right then and there, she saw him - the man she was dancing with in that vision,..._

_It's him! The man she's been searching for for such a long time._

_The man,... with the white hair,..._

_And he was there, standing a few feet away from her, giving her a confused, and yet longing, look, as if he was also seeing her, himself._

_She cautiously went closer to him and observed how his eyes followed her movements. She knew perfectly well that he was just a vision. Of the past or future? That she was not certain._

_All she knew was that he was holding out his hands in front of her in a clear gesture that successfully conveyed his desire to dance with her,..._

***

"Here." Nico mumbled sleepily as she handed V a mug of warm chocolate. He thanked the woman as he took it from her hands. He was about to take a sip when he noticed the woman giving him a suspicious look. She pointed two fingers at him and said, "Eh, so you're really Vergil, huh? Dante's twin brother?”

The man smirked as he finally took a sip of the warm chocolate, its enticing scent calming his tired and restless senses. He pursed his lips as he glanced at the calm and serene evening atmosphere from the balcony of (Y/N)'s unit.

"I was." He answered, his eyes darting from one cheerfully lit house to another. Some of the residents have already made their way back to their homes after the Dreadnought incident, and things were slowly going back to its normal and boring pace.

Nico almost choked on her chocolate when she heard V's answer. She chuckled as she took a good long, and thorough look at _Vergil_’s form from head to foot. "You,... _were_?" She chuckled.

V smirked once more as he looked at her. "It's the truth."

"I don't understand. How can you not be Vergil right now? I mean, come on, Sir Changes – A - Lot!"

The man chuckled as he helplessly shook his head. He held out a single hand as little orbs of light radiated from it. The almost translucent orbs, then, spread out from his hand to his arm, then from his torso to his other arm. The orbs reached his entire body as the curious little lights morphed him back to the V that Nico was used to seeing - black leather vest, tooth necklace, a pair of unflattering black sandals, and all.

"This,... is merely an illusion.” V explained. “I could never become whole again. It is,... completely impossible. Even with the powers of the Sisters Of Fate."

"Your hair,..." Nico mused as she pointed at V's snowy white hair. "It's not turning back to black." She, then, pointed at his skin. "And your tattoos are barely even there!"

"This is how I look like before all this,... began. This,... is the real me."

"Wow. And I thought (Y/N) was the only one who can change looks,..."

At the mere sound of her name, V's heart skipped a beat and his breath clearly hitched. The girl was sleeping in her room, unconscious since the whole battle with Pandemonium ended. He promised her sister that he would take care of him, and Galatea left her body as soon as she was done healing her.

But, then, somehow, he knew deep within his tainted heart that she would never be fully healed.

_Would she,... ?_

His question came out like a soft breeze that was almost missed by the Artisan. She stopped sipping her chocolate and glanced back at V, seeing the man leaning on the railing and clearly looking uncomfortable.

"Sorry?"

V looked at her eyes and repeated his question. "Would she find it in her heart to forgive me? After everything I've done to her?"

"Oh, that." Nico came closer towards the man and patted him a bit forcefully on the shoulder. "Dontcha worry a thing 'bout that! She'll forgive ya and yer pretty, lil' skinny ass. Believe me.”

V chuckled at her crude humor and sighed.

"You don't have,... any idea what I did to her back in that demonic ship,..."

"I know. You killed her. Well, almost."

V's eyes widened as he straightened up and looked at her. "How did you - ?!"

"Found out? Oh, she knew 'bout that. She told me herself."

Oh, it must be Cassandra, V thought as he leaned against the railing once more. "Of course."

"But, hey, she's still alive, right? And you're fine! At least, you didn't turn evil or somethin' and caused the world's destruction."

At those ridiculously accurate words, V bowed his head down low, trying to conceal his face until he could no longer endure the emotions. With trembling shoulders and teary eyes, he threw his head back, his low and evil - sounding laughter ripping out of his throat and scaring the hell out of Nico.

"Hahaha! YOU make me laugh,..."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "O,... kay?"

"You have no idea,... how messed up I've become. I failed her. I failed miserably. I'm only here because, apparently, Galatea still thinks I'm worthy. After,... everything I did to her."

"Hey, we all make mistakes."

V smiled at her. "I will tell you,... the story of my insanity,..."

With wide, doubtful eyes, Nico patiently listened as V recounted to her the events that took place in the Dreadnought, from the moment he stabbed (Y/N) up to the point where Fleminger stabbed him, taking the Sisters away from him and letting Pandemonium kill everyone.

"Wait, wait, wait,..." Nico blabbered as she pushed the frame of her red - rimmed glasses to her nose bridge. "So, you're sayin' that,... everyone,... _**died**_?"

"Yes."

"Hooee! Well, I'm sure glad that Galatea brought you back. I wonder how I died back there?"

As Nico went on blabbering about how she could possibly die in that far off alternate universe, V suddenly saw,...

... a spectral - looking hand reaching up at the railing of the balcony just behind her. V was definitely not one to get frightened of ghosts but, the vision did startle him. He focused his gaze into it as the creature climbed up the balcony as effortlessly as it could.

It was (Y/N), and she was, somehow, strangely barefoot. Her pants looked like they were burnt from the knee down, and her movements were as light as possible. She tiptoed her way to the window when she suddenly heard some voices inside.

So, did V.

“ ... they even mentioned some famous and obscure names in the Devil Hunting business who got the invitation. And let me mention this - Dante also received one."

Her eyes widened at whatever she saw inside and she couldn't prevent herself from letting out a yelping sound.

“Someone’s listening!”

She covered her mouth and stepped away from the window.

“Looks like we have an,… unwanted visitor.” Then, he heard it. That voice. It was him. He could remember everything: this was from that time when he first arrived at this place.

So, it was true: someone really was outside that time. And it was none other than her,...

“Best to make it at home - ” He heard himself speak once more.

“Guys, guys! Stop! What did I say about making a mess?!”

“Hey, hey! There’s an intruder right - AHH!” A very loud and obnoxious noise was heard from the inside, like someone, or something, was just thrown to the other side of the room.

“To not make any?”

“Exactly! That’s just the - ah - neighbor’s cat!”

“That,… does not sound like a feline, at least to my ears.”

“Okay, okay, guys! Trust me and put your weapons down. Thank you! Now, as I was saying, we must go to this event and find out what this, Wrath of The Gods, is!”

“We cannot go shorthanded. If we take the riddle in a very literal sense, then,… we would not have enough strength. We would be dealing with the Wrath of The Gods,… after all.”

While listening to the conversation inside, he saw (Y/N) as she tiptoed her way back closer to the window, lovingly gazing at something inside. Her eyes widened, then returned to normal once more. She raised an arm and wiped the tears that started coming out of her eyes with the sleeves of her pale pink hoodie.

She was crying, and yet,...

... she looked clearly happy at what she saw. Like she finally found something she has been searching for after so long.

** _Like, she was deeply longing to see whatever that was,..._ **

** _And this made V's heart twitch in unbelievable pain._ **

** _He,... knew who she was looking at. He knew,..._ **

** _... who she was longing to meet,..._ **

“That’s where I come in! Nero, how’s the breaker coming along?”

“It’s fine, sure.”

“Oh, yeah? Then, I’ll be making new ones.”

“Isn’t this enough?”

“No! And, you! You seem interested in all this, yes?”

“As a matter of fact, I ‘am."

“Then, go get your own formal wear! I can’t provide you with one. I’m an Artisan, not a freaking, fancy tailor!”

“Wait, like, right now?”

“Duh?! Are you, like, gonna wait till Saturday for that? Go, go, GO!”

She cautiously took a few steps away from the window once more.

“Hey, hey, if you’re looking for some chicks, then you’re in the wrong place! Get moving!”

There were more sounds, and when they finally subsided, the window violently opened and she finally entered the threshold of her own home.

“Are you crazy?! Why would you be hiding there? This is your home, for crying out loud! Are you a thief, or something?!”

“It’s him, Nico.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s him! The man with the violin in my visions!”

“Who?!”

“The one with the markings on his skin!”

“The mysterious man? Are you sure about that?”

“It. Is. HIM!”

"¿Por qué estas descalza?" V heard a distinctively different voice of that of a little girl.

He closed his eyes at the sudden change, and when he opened them once more, he was suddenly transported to a sunny, suburban place. A little girl with dark pigtails was staring at him, her hands on her hips like a wife who was angry at her husband for coming home late and drunk.

He realized she was not directly looking at him, and this made him turn around. And to his surprise, he saw (Y/N). And just like in his vision a while ago, she was barefoot, and her pants looked burnt from the knee down.

(Y/N) opened her mouth to answer but, then, she realized she can't speak the little girl's language. This made the smaller girl smile.

"¡Ven conmigo! Te llevaré a nuestra casa." The girl excitedly said as she practically went through V like he was a ghost and grabbed (Y/N)'s hand.

V followed the two as the little girl led (Y/N) to one of the charming little two - story houses on the left. The little girl opened the door and let (Y/N) in.

"¡Madre!" The girl called. "¡Madre!"

"¿Alicia?"

A woman in her mid - fifties came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands with an orange towel.

"¿Hija?" The mother's eyes widened as she abandoned her towel, practically throwing it to the side as she made her way to the two girls. "¡Que chica tan linda! ¿Es tu amiga?"

The little girl laughed and shook her head, making (Y/N) a bit surprised and culture - shocked. "Ella no habla Español. No te preocupes, yo me encargo." The girl turned to (Y/N) and pointed at herself, then her mother. "My name is Alicia. This is my mother, Maria. I go to English class every Saturday."

"Oh, that's nice." (Y/N) answered as she received a pair of slippers from the little girl. "Thanks."

"She said you're pretty."

A faint rosy tint crept up (Y/N)'s cheeks. She looked at the smiling older woman and nodded. "I, ah, thank you."

Maria nodded, understanding the words she just said.

"What are you doing outside with no shoes?" The little girl asked her as she pulled her towards the living room.

"Umm, you see, ah,..." (Y/N) muttered as she sat down on the maroon sofa. "I was, ahh, looking for someone. A white haired man who plays the violin. I've seen him pass here. Have you, umm, seen him?"

** _White haired man who plays the violin?_ **

** _He had been here?!_ **

Alicia turned to his mom. "Ella pregunta si hemos visto a un hombre de cabello blanco por aquí, dice que toca el violin."

Maria frowned and shook her head. “No, lo siento mucho. Pero podemos avisarte si lo llegamos a ver."

"She said no. But, we will tell you when we see him."

(Y/N)'s face showed a clearly disappointed expression. But, despite this, she still sincerely smiled and nodded. "Thank you so much."

Alicia nudged her on the elbow to help her relax. "No hay problema." She answered with a smile. "That means no problem."

"I can't believe how fast you've grown!"

V heard another voice from the hallway. He went there and saw, in shock, the same little girl,...

... except that she was now the same height as (Y/N). Her hair was no longer in pigtails. Instead, she was wearing it down. And her fashion sense seemed to have changed, as well.

"I'm a teenager now!" And clearly, she was better in English. "And it seems that you haven't aged a bit since I last saw you!"

It was true. For some reason, (Y/N) still looked the same.

_How many years has passed since she first met Alicia?_

"So, have you seen him?"

"Oh, that man? I think mom has!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Alicia grabbed her hand and led her to the living room like what she did the first time they met. "Madre, (Y/N) is here!"

The woman, whose dark brown hair has clearly turned gray, looked up from her stitch work and stood, meeting the girls halfway and kissing the both of them on their forehead. V noticed that she now walked with a slight limp.

"It has been a long, long time, Miss (Y/N)!" Maria told her in straight English, grabbing her hands and squeezing them.

"Mom studied English for you." Alicia said with a proud and huge smile.

"That's really cool!"

"Mom, she’s asking whether you've seen the man she was looking for."

To this, Maria's face suddenly fell, a frown now gracing her warm and gentle features. She only shook her head and went back to her stitch work. And without saying another word, she sat down and went on with her work like nothing even happened.

"Oh, don't mind her. She's just like that at times. But, she's not mad at you, don't worry!" Alicia whispered.

(Y/N), who was clearly alarmed at the sudden change in Maria's demeanor, couldn't help but nod as she tried to hide her worry.

"It's okay."

"You haven't given up?"

V heard Alicia's frantic voice on the hallway once more. He immediately went there and saw her,...

... clad completely in black from head to foot. She clearly looked a bit older, and she was not dragging (Y/N) around like how she used to when she was younger.

And (Y/N)?

"You still haven't changed?" Alicia questioned her with raised eyebrows.

"Where's Maria?"

Something in her question triggered something in Alicia. And it unnerved both (Y/N) and V.

"Get out."

"Sorry?"

"I said, GET OUT!" Alicia screamed as she pushed (Y/N) out of the house.

"Alicia, what happened?!"

"GO AWAY!" The girl screamed as she shut the door close. She then ran towards the sofa, grabbed Maria's old stitch work, and cried. The handiwork was clearly half - finished but, some words were visible from it.

** _"El amor es paciente, el amor es amable. No envi - "_ **

"HEY!"

V snapped back to reality as Nico snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"You alright?"

"Indeed. Yes, I' am." He answered.

Nico breathed a sigh of relief as she clutched at her chest like she was having a heart attack. "I thought I lost you back there. You know, (Y/N)'s visions were short and sweet - "

"She's been to Spain."

"Sorry?"

V looked at her and repeated his words. "It's (Y/N). I saw her. She was in Spain."

"Oh, that! So, you've seen her?" Nico answered as she went back inside, V following close behind her. "You know, she's been to many places, more than what you could imagine. She's searching ten years for you, God!"

"Ten,… years?!"

"Yeah. She comes home often, though. She's learned to channel that power of hers to her feet and legs so she could move fast and jump to high places." Nico explained as she went to one of the drawers and pulled something out from it. "So, she's never really gone for too long. But, I'm gonna tell ya this: that channeling the power to her feet thing often burned her pants."

_ **So, that's why,...** _

"I don't understand." V went on as he watched Nico flip through the pages of an old album. "She was searching for ten years, but I've only been to such places for three weeks. I was,… travelling. It's what I've been doing before coming here to Red Grave."

"Really? Well, it's a long story. Let's just say that she wanted to meet you because the entity that was possessing her wanted her to fulfill some kind of a mission. Don't ask." She handed the open album to V and pointed at one of the photos. "That's them."

V's eyes widened in awe as he saw the photograph of (Y/N) and Alicia during the Spanish girl's party for her sixteenth birthday.

"Alicia. One of the people she frequently visited and stopped seeing after ten years. Said she’s starting to notice."

"Notice what?" V looked up from the album.

Nico went closer to V and whispered like she was passing on a well - guarded secret to him. "Okay, this sounds weird but, she actually came from the past."

"I know."

"Yeah, yeah! I thought at first she's just plain nuts. But, listen to this: the first thing she did after recovering was search for her family's old farm in Fortuna. V, there hasn't been a farm there since a hundred years ago! It's all concrete now, and streets.

"So, she searched for her parents and any people she could remember from her past. Some of them either died already or have grandchildren of their own. And her parents? She found out that they separated and had families of their own."

"A girl,... out of her time,..." V mused as he flipped through the pages of (Y/N)'s old album, seeing her with unknown faces.

"Exactly! She's, like, super old when you think 'bout it!" Nico went to one of the paintings and looked up at it. "And, not only that, her looks stayed the same for those ten whole years I knew her. Like, she's stuck or somethin’.”

"Galatea's stasis." V breathed.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing."

Nico frowned and raised an eyebrow at him. She went on. "She craves for things from the past. So, she started collecting antiques like this. Other than helping her cope after being plucked from when she came from, these things she have reminded her of all the places she's been. They remind her of you."

The poet looked up from the album and saw Nico picking up her keys on the glass top table. There was an old record there, similar to Fleminger's, that he hasn't taken notice of before.

_ **Was it there the whole time?** _

Nico saw the confusion in V's eyes as he looked at the antique. "Oh, this? She bought this about a year ago. Thought she's gonna want to listen to old songs when she wakes up. So, I took it out. It's gonna get moldy with disuse."

The woman walked towards the door but, before she went out, she turned back to V. "I'll leave her to ya, V. Don't mess this up again." And then, just like that, she walked out of the door, leaving him alone with (Y/N).

The silence felt deafening, the darkness depressing. V nearly collapsed on the sofa as he carefully placed the album next to the record. He was about to touch it when he heard a loud tapping against the window. He turned around just in time to see Griffon and Shadow entering the unit.

"HOO! We made it." Griffon breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way towards V while carrying something broken in his hands.

"I see you found it." V carefully took the broken violin from Griffon's long fingers. It was (Y/N)'s.

"Yeah, well. Kinda got all bloody searchin’ through Dreadnought's rubble for that."

"Thank you."

"Wait!" Griffon held up two long fingers in front of V and made way for Shadow to get close to the poet.

V smirked, controlling his mirth and amusement as he looked down at the now human Shadow. After the cleansing, she has turned into a pale human girl roughly the size of a middle - schooler. Her long black hair that reached her feet was awfully unkempt, and the clothes that Lady lent her a while ago was too big for her.

She quietly looked up at him with her big red eyes and showed him a pair of stilettos.

It was (Y/N)'s. She wore it when,...

"This girl took it badly when you threw them out during your mad state, if ya can’t remember. She looked for them all over the place and kept them with her." Griffon explained as Shadow gave the shoes back to V. She turned towards her fellow familiar and gave him a strange look. She, then, turned back to V with an angry, yet adorable, look. "Oh, and she's saying that she hates ya for hurting (Y/N). And that she will never forgive ya."

"Oh, I'm,..." V grasped the shoes and looked down at them, thinking of the girl who owned them. "... forgive me."

"Well, you've been a naughty schtick! Ya should've been punished for bad behavior!" The bald Demon made a ruffling gesture that was much akin to his movements when he was still a bird and collapsed on the sofa. "So, happy with yer new powers?" he, then, asked sarcastically.

"No." The poet answered monotonously as he slumped back to the sofa just beside the familiar, the shoes still in his hands.

Griffon rolled his eyes. "Figures,..."

There was a moment of silence between the two, and during this very awkward time, Shadow took a liking to the old record on the table. She poked the thing with her tiny finger and managed to turn it on, its weird mechanism startling her and making her hair stand. She drew back to a corner, giving it a confused and cautious look.

This made Griffon laugh a lot. "I wonder how that would sound, though."

"It,... wouldn't hurt if we try." The poet quietly said as he placed the shoes on the table and took the vinyl record just beside the instrument. Apparently, the record was simply titled as "Nat King Cole". He began with the long process of playing it and when the music finally came out of it, he turned it off immediately.

"Hey, why did ya turn it off?!" Griffon complained. He was about to rant more when he noticed the look on V's face. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. "V? You okay?"

"I' am. I just,..." The man held out a hesitant finger as he turned on the instrument once more.

** _"Unforgettable, that's what you are._ **  
** _Unforgettable, though near or far._ **  
** _Like a song of love that clings to me,... "_ **

"It's this song." He confessed with a shaky voice. With cold and trembling hands, he covered his mouth, already feeling the tears as they started falling down his blurry eyes. "It's,... from that evening."

Griffon saw the changes in V's demeanor and actually felt sorry for him. He tapped V's shoulder in a sincere effort to calm him down.

** _"Unforgettable in every way,_ **  
** _And forevermore,_ **  
** _That's how you'll stay,..."_ **

He stood up and went towards the window, all the painful memories of everything that happened within a single week coming back to him. He found the love of his life, danced with her, and lost her because of his foolishness.

All because he let himself be manipulated.

Still unable to control his emotions, and the tears that came along with them, he turned back, and saw,...

... the girl, herself, standing a few feet away from him looking confused like he was.

But, this time, unlike any other vision he had of her, she looked like she was actually seeing him for real. She went closer towards him as he observed all of her movements. He held out his arms, hoping for his desire to dance with her once more to come across.

And, as if by some form of an unknown miracle, she let his hands take hers as they began the basic steps of the waltz,...

... just like the first time they did it on the Grecian balcony that evening.

  
** _"That's why darling, it's incredible,_ **  
** _That someone so unforgettable,_ **  
** _Thinks that I am unforgettable too."_ **

Griffon and Shadow silently watched as V danced with something they couldn't see. The male familiar shook his head and grinned as he saw the poet actually enjoying the dance.

** _"No, never before has someone been more,..."_ **

He tried to hold her closer despite the fear that she would vanish and rested his head on the crook of her neck.

** _"Unforgettable,… in every way,..."_ **

He quietly and gently sang along, the lyrics tearing a new wound to his already beaten heart. How he wanted to hold her so much, how he wanted to actually feel her smooth skin against his,...

... how he longed to dance with her once more.

** _But, she’s hurt. Because of him. _ **

** _And instead of her actually dancing with him, she’s lying on that bed inside her room with no guarantee of when she’d wake up._ **

**_"And forevermore,… that's how you'll stay,..."_** He felt a warm sensation on his body and realized that her vision was rubbing him on the back, her arms around him, wanting him to cease crying. He looked at her eyes and cupped her cheeks. **_"That's why darling,… it's incredible,… that someone,… so unforgettable,… thinks that I ‘am,… unforgettable too,..."_** His heart ached with each word he sang, feeling like they were directed towards him and making him feel guilty than ever before.

He wanted so much to tell her that: that she’s unforgettable,…

… that he was grateful to her for everything that she did for him for the past ten years,…

… that he was grateful that she found him and made his life a little less miserable.

But, of course, he had to make a very stupid mistake of hurting her.

** _And he regret everything he did and did not do to her._ **

As the song came to an end, his face inched closer to hers. He wanted so much to feel her lips against his,...

... when something startled her.

She reluctantly pulled away from him as she looked at the door behind her. She opened her mouth and said something he couldn't hear, and turned to face him once more. She gave him a warm, and yet weak, smile as she held up a single hand to caress his face. After that, she stepped away from him and went to the door, looking at him one last time before finally going through it.

"Please,..." V begged her, holding out a helpless and powerless hand to reach her. "Don't,... leave me,..."

***

_She heard a knock on the door and heard Dante calling her name. She turned away from the lonely man, not really wanting to go._

_"I'm coming!" She called back, then looked at her partner's anguished face once more. Despite the pain that she suddenly felt in her heart upon seeing a vision of him, she still made an effort to caress his face and smiled, reassuring him, hoping that he would understand. She left him standing there in the middle of the room._

_And as she glanced back at him, the sight that greeted her hurt her even more. In fact, the pain was unbearable._

_His tears were streaming down his face, his expression simply too painful to withstand._

_He doesn't want her to go._

_He,... doesn't want her to leave,..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cast:
> 
> (Y/N) (L/N)  
V  
Nico  
Griffon  
Shadow
> 
> O/C(s):
> 
> Alicia  
Maria
> 
> Song(s) mentioned:
> 
> Unforgettable by Natalie and Nat King Cole


	30. The Little Lamb

_Galatea found Vergil in the library that day, and when she approached the little boy, she saw him drawing something on a cover of a hardbound book with a blue crayon._

_She might have smiled at the boy's little project but, the erratic movements of his little hand as the worn down cerulean crayon chaotically glided through the book, making jarred lines and messy curves, slightly unnerved her. And as the huge letter V finally started to form on the book's cover, she realized what he's been doing._

_"You know, William Blake would not appreciate what you did to his book if he sees that." She gently told the little boy as she took a seat on one of the chairs next to him._

_Vergil looked up at her, letting her see the ugly bruise on his cheek ( most probably Dante's doing ), and frowned. "I want to make this book mine!"_

_"I know, dear. It's just,... you're going to ruin the book. And if it's ruined, you won't be able to read it properly again."_

_"BUT - !" The boy almost cried. "It's Dante! He always takes everything away from me! I'm putting my name on it so it can truly be mine!"_

_"Sshh, sshh, sshh, alright, calm down,..." Galatea hushed as she held up her hands in front of the boy. "I understand. No need to get mad."_

_"But,..." the boy looked down at the ruined cover of the book, his tears now steadily flowing from his eyes. "... will Mr. William Blake really get mad at me for doing this?"_

_The girl smiled as she took the boy into her arms and wrapped him in a very warm and gentle embrace. "I think," she explained. "... that he will be very proud of you for picking his works over others. He will say that you're a very clever boy, and that you deserve all the love and affection in the world."_

_"You're joking, I know,..." Vergil argued, calmly but still with a hint of disappointment._

_"I'm not! Okay, if you'll let me borrow your book,..." Galatea answered as she took the book from the table. "... then, maybe I could do something with it,..."_

_Later that night, the girl showed up at Vergil's bedroom, both her hands behind her back and a mischievous smile on her lips. The boy left his bed and went over to her side._

_"Galatea, what are you hiding?"_

_The girl smirked as she finally showed what she's holding. It was the same book, only that it has now a brown leather cover with a huge golden V, along with intricate lines around it, emblazoned on both the front and the back._

_The little boy's eyes widened with complete wonder, gasping excitedly as he received the newly covered book from her._

_"It's like,..." Vergil almost stuttered, his excitement getting the better of him. "... it's magic! How did you do it?!"_

_Galatea playfully rolled her eyes. "Magic."_

_The little boy threw himself at her, hugging her as tightly as he could. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"_

_"Ah, it's nothing." Galatea answered as she put her arms around the boy's tiny body. "By the way, I put something in - "_

_"I'm so excited to read this!"_

_The boy ran to his bed, bouncing happily in it as he started to surround himself with the wondrous and imaginative world of Blake._

_"Never mind." Galatea murmured more to herself than to the little boy. "Good night." She whispered as she quietly closed the door,..._

_Little Lamb who made thee,_

_Dost thou know who made thee,... ?_

***

_"Sunny day sweepin' the clouds away._  
_On my way to where the air is sweet!_  
_Can you tell me how to get?_  
_How to get to - "_

"V! Wake up!"

The poor poet woke up to someone shaking him on the shoulder and the sound of that sickly cheerful music on the television. He opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the bright morning light that seemed to add insult to his self - inflicted psychological and emotional injury, and saw the woman peering down at him with utter disgust.

"Eww, what happened to ya? Ya, like, cried yerself to sleep or somethin'?"

V ignored her stupid question as he sat up from the sofa ( which was mercifully soft, thank the Heavens ) and took a good long look around the now bright room.

During his awfully stressful slumber, Nico has managed to enter the premises ( of course, she has her own key ), parted the heavy curtains, and actually made something decent for breakfast.

And its smell was now actually wafting from the kitchen to V's sensitive nostrils.

"Breakfast time!" The tattooed woman announced as she went over to the television to turn it off.

"HEY!" Griffon, who was sitting on the floor beside Shadow, pointed an accusing finger at her. "WE'RE STILL WATCHING!"

"ELMO CAN WAIT! AND DON'T YA POINT AT ME JUST BECAUSE YER HUMAN NOW!"

"AARRGGHH!"

Shadow, who was eagerly watching the children's show with Griffon, flinched when the television screen went from colorful to blank, and started crying like Nico just took her candy away from her.

"SEE WHAT YE'VE DONE TO THE HOUSECAT!"

"OH, SHUT THE CRAP UP!"

"ENOUGH!"

Griffon and Nico both looked up as they heard V's intentionally loud scream and immediately stopped bickering. Shadow, on the other hand, went on crying like nobodies' business.

And it was to an awkward silence when he left the unit to clear his mind. He knew he has an obligation to take care of (Y/N) and he was fully aware that he must not leave her with Nico and Griffon ( who were both as perfectly capable as two clashing, idiotic hominids ) but, he really needed to get away for a while, to ease his anxiety and to calm his senses. He wanted so much to get rid of the throbbing pain on his head, and he needed get away from too much noise for a while.

He wanted to breathe some fresh air,...

All of a sudden, like something that could only happen in cheap novels and low - budget movies, a single piece of flyer flew from somewhere and landed on his face. He picked the piece of paper off his tired and greasy face, took a good long look at it, and almost swore out loud. Almost.

Of all the places that could lure him in,...

An hour later, he found himself face to face with the familiar wooden door with the huge neon sign right above it. The one place that old flyer advertised.

It was the same place,... that changed his fate forever. Not to mention the others he intentionally and unintentionally dragged along with him and his blunders.

He opened the door, stepped in,...

... and saw, in his utter shock, the huge interior of a grand, old cathedral. He was now standing next to one of the pews, and when he looked down to his left, he saw (Y/N) actually sitting on it, her eyes transfixed to, most probably, the choir practicing from the far right corner of the cathedral.

"Willst du ihnen beitreten?" Came the voice of an older woman who suddenly went through V ( like how Alicia did ) and placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a middle - aged nun with the most gentle features he has ever seen.

The nun must have noticed (Y/N)'s confusion upon being asked in a different language, and shook her head. "Oh, vergib mir. I mean, forgive me. I was asking if you want to join them." She asked, then gestured towards the choir.

(Y/N)'s mouth opened as she was about to say something but, then, hesitated. She just smiled sheepishly and shook her head.

"You'll love it there."

"I'm sorry, I can't,... I really can't sing like that."

"Oh, is that so? Hmm, you do seem to like music." The nun sat down next to (Y/N). "Then, what brings you here? You do seem like you came from a very far place. I may be able to help." She asked as she looked at her casual clothes that were inappropriate for such a cold weather.

The girl, who looked like she was about to burst into tears, nodded as she bowed her head. She, then, looked at the nun's eyes and spoke, "I was looking for - "

"V?" Came a familiar voice. The poet glanced at the vicinity of the choir once more and noticed Dante standing just next to the old conductor, his arms crossed. "Hey!" His younger brother went towards him, looking confused, and when he finally patted him on the shoulder, his surroundings abruptly changed from German rustic to American modern. He was back to his own reality with the familiar atmosphere of the Devil May Cry office before him. "Finally came for a visit, eh?"

"I,... guess I' am. Yes."

Dante rolled his eyes and gestured for V to follow him towards his desk. "So, what happened with the Vergil disguise?"

"It wore off." It was the truth

"Can you put it back on?" Dante mildly asked as he collapsed on his chair and placed both of his feet on his messy table. "Be my brother for a while?"

"Do you want me to?" V inquired as he threw his cane in mid air and caught it with his right hand.

The Devil Hunter in red just shook his head. "Nah. Would it make any difference, though? We'll still try to kill each other anyway."

"Was that the only memory we had? Of us at each others' throats?"

"Seems like it."

There was a moment of awkward silence, and when Dante spoke once more, V felt that there really was a reason he was led back to this place.

"That day, when I was fighting the Dreadnought's horde, some names came up my head. Something like Andromeda, Cassandra, and Galatea?" His statement made V smirk as he shook his head in disbelief. And this very unexpected gesture irked Dante. "What?"

"You heard the man, Cassandra." V spoke, much to Dante's utter confusion. "It is time you explain everything."

For a few moments, Dante only stared at V, thinking that his "brother" has completely gone insane, and lo and behold, something materialized right next to him, and it made him almost fall off his chair in shock.

"WHOAH! WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Dante, I'd like to reintroduce you to Cassandra, the Aspect Of Future, eldest of the Sisters of Fate."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Wait a second here, _reintroduce_? Did I hear that right?"

V's gaze felt like daggers against Cassandra's skin. She looked down in shame, unable to speak.

"Cassandra, if you please?" V asked. No. More like _ordered_.

The Sister of Fate nodded and went closer to Dante. The man quickly stood and drew back in terror, uncertain why a tall and lovely woman was approaching him. "Let your sight be opened." Cassandra spoke clearly as she took hold of Dante's head, making his eyes roll back and his muscles tense. After a few moments, she let go of his head, making him stumble to the ground. And the moment he opened his eyes, he finally remembered everything.

"H - how could I forget?!" He muttered. "Cassandra, were you the one who sealed our memories?"

"Yes." The woman answered with much guilt. "I only did it to protect you from Mundus and all of Sparda's enemies. I' am very sorry."

"Ha." The man mocked as he stood up and brushed some dirt off his jacket. "And surely you've realized that your bright idea did nothing to keep us safe!"

"That is enough, Dante." V quietly interjected.

"Can you explain what this is all about?"

Which was exactly what V did for the next couple of hours. He explained everything, from the day he commissioned him to take on the Demon King Urizen, to the day the Sisters returned to him. And, of course, he told him everything about (Y/N), how he felt about her, how he fell in love with her,...

... how he hurt her,...

"To be quite frank," Dante began as he rubbed his stubble. "... you've been a total douchebag, V. No offense. Just saying the plain truth."

"I know. And I'm sorry." The poet, now settled on one of the chairs beside the desk, answered.

"Nah. What's the point in falling in love when you don't make a blunder or two? It's called, _**falling** in love_. And, damn, **it hurts**. Look what happened to me." Dante shook his head and stood. "Speaking of (Y/N), I just remembered something. Wait here." He stated as he made his way to the back of the office, occasionally throwing weird glances at Cassandra, who was quietly standing at the far corner of the room.

When he got back, he was carrying a pale pink fur coat and what looked like an instrument case. "(Y/N) forgot this the last time she's here. Can you give this back to her for me?"

As V was about to take the parka - like clothing from his brother, his visions returned, flinging him back to the old rustic church where he saw the same nun from before handing him the thing instead of Dante. A pair of hands went through V, taking the parka from the kind, old woman. He moved aside to see (Y/N) lovingly clutching the warm, wooly parka close to her chest.

"Thank you so much, Sister,... ah?"

"You may call me Sister Christina." The old woman smiled. "May you finally see the man you've been searching for." The nun made the sign of the cross and kissed the younger woman on the forehead. "Möge dich Gott auf deinen Reisen segnen."

"V?" Dante's voice once again brought him back to the present. "You okay?"

"Yes. Forgive me."

Dante just stared at V with a raised eyebrow as he handed the coat to him. "Oh, and, ah, her birthday is coming soon, and I couldn't think of anything else to give. I mean, I don't know what movie she hasn't already seen, and I'm sure she's not gonna appreciate Twilight. So, I got her this." He handed him the instrument case he's been holding.

V was right. It was a violin. A real one, and not a weaponized version.

Dante scratched his head in confusion. "Ah, I know she's tone deaf. But, you can teach her, right?"

"Of course." V answered. "Can I open it?"

"Sure. Open it, play something with it, whatever you want."

V carefully opened the case and saw the exquisite, wooden thing inside. He took it and appraised it like an expert.

"Guarneri? You can afford Guarneri?!" For the first time since those stressful days, V actually felt the mirth going back to his system at the thought of Dante buying an expensive instrument for the girl he loves.

"Guava?" And he clearly sounded that he had no idea what he just got himself into.

"Guarneri." V repeated dryly. He just can't accept people being ignorant about the popular Italian Luthier - the maker of Paganini's violin.

"Guava. Guanini. Whatever. Besides, I just bought it from an antique shop and had it fixed."

_And apparently, it cost too much_, V thought, taking note of the dark atmosphere of the room. His brother wasn't able to pay the bills again and was probably fast approaching bankruptcy.

V pushed the thoughts aside as he positioned the violin below his left jaw and raised the bow,...

"Allmächtiger Vater, Segne diesen Mann auf seinen Wegen und Reisen. Segne ihn in seinem Denken und Handeln. Segne ihn in seiner Seele und seinem Herzen. Dass dein Licht ihn stets umgibt, und ihn auf deinen erwählten Pfad sicher leite. Geleite ihn durch die Stille und Leere, auf dass er an deiner Seite die Hoffnung und das Glück entdecke. Im Namen des Vaters, des Sohnes und des heiligen Geistes  
Amen."

The two brothers both looked at the other end of the room and saw (Y/N) standing there, her back turned against them.

"What the hell?!" Dante mumbled. "(Y/N)?!"

However, V was fully aware who she really was. And he knew she wasn't (Y/N).

The girl turned and finally revealed her face. It was, indeed, Galatea. "Almighty father," she went on with her prayer. "Bless this man on his roads and travels, bless him in his thoughts and actions, bless him in his soul and in his heart that your light always surrounds him and guide him safely on your chosen path. Guide him through the silence and the void so that by your side he may find hope and mirth. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,  
Amen. It's what (Y/N) always prays at night before she sleeps. It was taught to her by the nun who gave her that parka. She prays for you each night, Master."

"Galatea, is that you?!" Dante gasped, pointing at another one of the Sisters of Fate who kept materializing in his own office.

"That name was given by your father, Sparda. Before that, I was,... nothing. A shell of what truly mirrors the illusions made by him." Galatea explained.

"What do you mean by that?" V questioned.

The girl smiled. "Do you remember that night when I fixed that book of yours, Master?"

"Of course. As clear as day, dear."

The girl nodded, her expression very serious. "Then, please, take the cover off the book."

"NO!" Cassandra shrieked all of a sudden. She crossed the room and made her way to her younger sister, hugging her as tightly as she could.

Like Galatea was going to leave her,...

"You can't do this! Please! We'll lose you! I beg you, don't do this!"

The youngest sister only smiled as she embraced her sibling. "But, you've seen it?"

"Yes!" Cassandra was crying, and it unnerved both V and Dante. "So, I beg you! Don't make him do it! Please! I've lost mama and papa. I don't want to lose you!"

_It's just a book. What would happen to her?_

Galatea closed her eyes as a single tear rolled down her eye. She, then, looked at V. "Master, do it. And see for yourself. Do it for me."

Despite the heavy and unexplainable feeling that suddenly weighed on his chest, he placed the Guarneri and the bow back on their case, took out the William Blake anthology from his coat pocket, and opened it, noticing the part where the leather cover began. With mild curiosity, Dante inched closer to V, watching his brother tear off the brown leather cover. A few moments later, a single piece of paper fell from it to the floor, making all eyes focus on it and it alone.

And as V picked it up and noticed what it was, his eyes widened and his lips parted. It was a very old vintage photograph of a little girl holding a stuffed lamb.

It was an old photograph of (Y/N).

"I was created to mimic her image. To provide mama with a daughter. Without her, the girl in that old photograph, I' am nothing. The moment I came to life, I always dreamed of actually meeting her in person. And I found her," Galatea let go of Cassandra and went directly to V. "... and brought her to you."

All the pain in his chest went back, reminding him of every bit of mistake he has done to her. He clutched the photograph closer to his chest. "But, I don't deserve her. I,... hurt her."

"I know. So, promise me you'll find her and get her back."

"_Find her_? Galatea, what do you - ?" V was startled when her body was suddenly engulfed with multiple little orbs of light. "What's happening to your body?"

"I used up all of my powers. I found her, fulfilled your wish, healed her. My mission,... has ended." She answered. She was dying, and yet, there was a content look on her face.

She knew her fate all along. And she embraced it.

"Farewell, Master."

And with those final words, she vanished, leaving behind her true form: an antique porcelain doll clutching a stuffed lamb.

That image was still on his mind when he left Dante's office and made his way back to (Y/N)'s unit but, something else was bothering him.

_Find her_? What does that mean? It's not like (Y/N) suddenly vanished or anything. That’s impossible.

But, then, something flashed in his mind: an unknown visitor, a tear - stained note, an open door,...

V practically sprinted towards the building, his heart rate going higher and higher as the vision finally took over his mind.

_It can't be! She can't do this! She can't - !_

The poet flung open the door and saw the frantic look on Nico and Griffon's faces.

"Where is she?"

Nico and Griffon immediately went towards V. Something really was wrong.

"Okay, V. No need to stress yerself even more. We just went out to get some stuff and,... she's just - " Griffon began but, he was immediately cut off.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

Nico, who was the calmer of the three of them, tried to stop V as he made his way towards (Y/N)'s room. "Calm down, man! She will go back. I know she will - "

** _She will go back?!_ **

He almost rudely brushed the two aside and ran to her room. He flung open the door,...

... and didn't find her there.

But, just like in his vision, there was a single note on the bed. He picked it up and saw the shaky scribbles on it.

** _“One of these days, and it won’t be long,_ **  
** _You’ll call my name and I’ll be gone,_ **  
** _Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.”_ **

And just like in the vision, the note,...

... was tear - stained.

***

_As they made their way back to their house, he saw his wife stop at an antique shop, her eyes transfixed on something in a glass case. He took a curious look at it and realized it was a beautiful vintage porcelain doll holding what looked like a stuffed lamb. And just above the doll's glass case was a photograph of a real human girl, clutching the same stuffed lamb, who must have been the inspiration of whoever made the toy._

_He smiled at her. "Do you want her? I'll get her for you."_

_His lovely wife looked up at him, her smile slowly diminishing. She shook her head and grasped her husband's hand, leading him away from the shop with a sad look on her face._

_The week after that, the husband introduced his wife to three girls. And he called one of them Galatea._

_"Galatea?" She gasped in wonder as her hands glided against the girl’s smooth porcelain - like skin. Like that of a doll's._

_She was,... simply perfect,..._

_The little girl smiled at her as she carefully touched her hands with her own, little ones. "Mama?"_

_Little Lamb who made thee,_

_Dost thou know who made thee,... ?_


	31. When She Left

** _"Des yeux qui font baisser les miens, un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche, voila le portrait sans retouche, de l'homme auquel j'appartiens,..."_ **

She's just sitting there, at the back of the dark establishment near the bar, paying close attention to the singer on the small stage as she sang. She was holding what looked like a single stem of a purple hyacinth, and there was that melancholic expression on her face once more.

_ **"Quand il me prend dans ses bras, qu'il me parle tout bas, Je vois la vie en rose. Il me dit des mots d'amour, des mots de tous les jours, et ça me fait quelque chose. Il est entré dans mon coeur, une part de bonheur, dont je connais la cause. C'est lui pour moi. Moi pour lui dans la vie. Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie."** _

He was just sitting right next to her but, of course, he couldn't do anything to comfort her. As much as he wanted to get close to her, to touch her smooth skin, to caress her cheeks, to brush that wayward (H/C) lock off her forehead, to touch those dainty hands and hold them close to his heart,...

... to lean close to her ear and whisper to her how much he loved her and how much he missed her,...

He reached out a hand towards her, his fingers grazing the tears on her cheeks that he couldn't brush. He gently rubbed the back of his hand against her face and felt nothing.

"My love,..." He whispered, his voice low and hoarse. She didn't hear him.

** _"Et dès que je l'aperçois, alors je sens en moi, mon coeur qui bat."_ **

Her head bowed down low, her eyes closed shut. Her tears fell uncontrollably down her lap, her shoulders trembling violently with her suppressed sobbing. She wiped those tears again and again with the sleeves of her pale pink fur hoodie which was recently given by Sister Christina and averted her gaze from the passing patrons to avoid being seen as such. She looked up once more, inhaled sharply through her nose, covered her mouth with her right hand, and leaned her right elbow against the counter top of the sleek, mahogany bar.

She was trying so hard to stifle her sobs, to control the tears,...

... to shout at the top of her lungs how miserable she felt.

From the shadows, a bartender, who was idly wiping a glass with a white napkin, approached her. She sat up straight and managed to make herself decent before him despite her red and swollen eyes.

"Re - bonjour! Je peux vous aider? Ou vous admirez juste la belle vue?" He told her. And seeing that she's one of his foreign patrons who can't understand english, he spoke once more. "Hello again dear, can I help you with anything? Or do you want a glass of vodka for your weary heart?"

"Ah, yes. Yes, please." She answered, not sure whether she could afford a glass of liquor at this place.

"Alright. One glass of vodka coming right up." As the Bartender was about to prepare her drink, he faced her once more and leaned a bit closer to her. "Please, call me Petya. The owner of this establishment."

She nodded and smiled weakly at him. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Petya."

"And you, as well. And that,..." the man said with a smug smile as he pointed at the lovely singer who was approaching them. "... is my lovely wife, Natasha. She is known here as Solange by the French patrons, kind of like a screen name, if you will. But, she is pure Russian. Just like me."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes! Let me introduce you. Solange, s'il te plaît, tu peux descandre une minute?"

"Mon amour." The woman called Solange, and whose real name is Natasha, greeted as she approached her husband and kissed him on the cheek. She turned towards (Y/N) and smiled, appraising her from head to foot with seemingly expert eyes. "Добро пожаловать в _Розах и Водке_!"

"Ah, she said, hello and welcome to _Roses And Vodka_." Petya translated for her.

"Oh, thank you." (Y/N) replied with a courteous nod.

Petya translated for his wife, who, then nodded at (Y/N) with a slight smile on her lovely face. "Мне кажется, ты влюблена. Ты хочешь чтоб я спела что-то для тебя? Я это сделаю совсем бесплатно, но следующий раз вам придется заплатить."

Petya chuckled as he kissed his wife on both cheeks, the language barrier both killing and confusing (Y/N). He, then, turned towards her once more. "She would love to sing any song you want. Do you have any requests?"

V watched with complete adoration as the lovely, yet sad and lonely, girl pursed and curled her lips, seemingly concentrating on her song choice. She opened her mouth, then closed them once more as she couldn't think of any song. And this, not to mention her puffy red eyes, worried both Petya and Natasha.

"Are you in pain?" The bartender carefully asked, which made the girl cry all over again.

"Ssh, ssh, ssh,..." Natasha, who felt it was her fault why (Y/N) cried, hushed and gently wrapped her in her arms. She said something in Russian, then Petya translated for her.

"She just told you to not cry over a man who left you." Petya answered. "I was right, then? You need vodka for your weary heart?"

"Ah, no. I'm sorry." (Y/N) pulled away from Natasha and wiped her tears with sleeves of her hoodie once more. "No one left me. Yet. I haven't even seen him."

To this, the couple only looked at each other, dumbfounded as to what she just said.

"What do you mean by that?"

(Y/N) bowed down low and exhaled, feeling her breath getting heavier by the second. She looked up once more and faced the concerned couple. "I was looking for someone. A man with white hair. He plays the violin. I saw him right here where I' am now."

"Oh."

V listened intently on the conversation, then pulled a notebook from his pocket - the little journal he kept during his travels. He opened it and saw his little scribbles of the places he's been in search for that elusive power to keep his mortal flesh from crumbling.

** _Spain_ **

** _Germany_ **

** _Russia_ **

** _France_ **

** _Italy_ **

There were a lot more places, and not only from Europe, that were listed on his little journal but, he only knew one thing for certain: that (Y/N) has already been to those places ten years earlier than him. Somehow, with the help of Cassandra's visions, she accurately predicted all the places he would go to ten years before they could even meet. Somehow, she correctly assumed the order of his actions before he was even born as V.

_Somehow, she saw her future before her,..._

And she was traveling because she was looking for him and him alone that it made her sad and miserable like this.

And him? He was traveling because of his search for some stupid kind of power that corrupted him and blinded him from the truth, allowing someone to manipulate him. And not because he wanted, or expected to ever see her.

And his foolishness led to this very moment: of him regretting all his actions and grieving for her disappearance.

He might not have cared for anyone before but, now,...

... his heart ached to see her like this.

He was just sitting right next to her but, of course, he couldn't do anything to comfort her. As much as he wanted to get close to her, to touch her smooth skin, to caress her cheeks, to brush that wayward (H/C) lock off her forehead, to touch those dainty hands and hold them close to his heart,...

... to lean close to her ear and whisper to her how much he loved her and how much he missed her,...

But, of course, he couldn't do this, for this was a mere illusion. The remnants of her past that was left behind by Galatea, the Bearer of The Past.

The Bearer,... of her Past.

Natasha spoke once more and as Petya translated for her, she went to her stage and prepared herself for another performance, quickly whispering something to the pianist. The notes from the grand piano sounded and the words came out from the mouth of the singer known as Solange.

And as both V and (Y/N) listened to her song, they were both afflicted with something that made them clutch their chests, feeling a strange kind of pain and sadness that instantly brought tears to their eyes. V quickly glanced back at (Y/N) to see her bowing her head down low as she unloaded all of her burden and emotions.

He reached out a hand, wanting to touch her this time. Everything around him lost its color as the movements around him slowly froze. Even Natasha's voice seemed to lose its clarity.

Then, everything finally stopped moving, from the patrons, to Petya, to Natasha, to the Pianist,...

... even (Y/N).

A single tear rolled down her cheeks. He reached out a single finger for the last time to catch it, and when it collided against his skin, the sensation it gave him almost feeling surreal, every single thing before him turned to ash, and it plunged him in total darkness.

V closed his eyes, bringing his finger closer to his lips, giving it a kiss,...

** _There's a saying old, says that love is blind._ **  
** _Still we're often told, seek and ye shall find._ **  
** _So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind._ **  
** _Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet._ **  
** _He's the big affair I cannot forget._ **  
** _Only man I ever think of with regret._ **  
** _I'd like to add his initial to my monogram._ **  
** _Tell me, where is the shepherd for this,..._ **

** _... lost,..._ **

** _... lamb,..._ **

The poet opened his eyes upon hearing Natasha's disembodied voice that seemed to come from afar, and when he looked around his dark surroundings, he saw a glimmer of light right before him. He chased the light, and it brought him to visions of recent events,...

... of that tear - stained letter in his hand bearing those heartbreaking lyrics to that song,...

... of him running to the nearest places around the apartment in search of her,...

... of him finally losing his temper and rushing to all the places he knew that she might go to,...

... of his former familiars finally catching up to him to calm him down and urge him to come home after a week of his endless search,...

... of him breaking down in front of Nico, his emotions getting the better of him and his sadness, guilt, and regret of everything that happened within the past couple of weeks going down on him all at once like an unstoppable and devastating storm, tearing him down and making him vulnerable despite the power he acquired.

** _There's a somebody I'm longin' to see._ **  
** _I hope that he turns out to be,_ **  
** _Someone who'll watch over me._ **  
** _I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood._ **  
** _I know I could, always be good._ **  
** _To one who'll watch over me._ **

He closed his eyes once more, trying to push these painful memories off his tortured mind.

But, alas, he couldn't.

For with eyes wide opened, V could see everything.

And with eyes closed shut, V could see her and only her,...

... of how she looked up at him and smiled at him like he was the only person in her own world that mattered,...

... of how graceful she looked when she walked,...

... of how her cheeks turn red whenever she talked to him,...

... of how she danced for him, baring all her thoughts, and her whole heart, to him,...

... of how she leaned in close to him to give him reassurances that she would never leave him,...

... of how she protected him in her own unique way,...

... of how she sweetly called his name, over and over again,...

** _Won't you tell him please to put on some speed._ **  
** _Follow my lead, oh, how I need,_ **  
** _Someone to watch over me._ **

... of how he doubted her kindness with simple, twisted words uttered by the enemy,...

... of how hurt he felt because he thought she lied to him,..

... of how he rejected her and her feelings that one day when she confessed her own undying affections towards him,...

... of how he thought of planning to mangle her body and expose her for what she truly was, only to find out that he was mistaken,...

... of how he chose power over her and drove the Yamato through her fragile body to acquire the power she has, the power she once used to search for him and to protect him unconditionally,...

... of how she once died before him,...

...

... of how she still loved him despite everything,...

** _“One of these days, and it won’t be long,_ **  
** _You’ll call my name and I’ll be gone,_ **  
** _Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.”_ **

** _Won't you tell him please to put on some speed._ **  
** _Follow my lead, oh, how I need,_ **  
** _Someone to watch over me,..._ **

V opened his eyes, his senses finally returning to his own reality. It was already close to twilight, and the others were nowhere to be found as they were probably helping out with the search.

He was sitting at the sofa, his eyes instantly dropping on the things on the glass top table: the vintage record, the old porcelain doll that was Galatea, (Y/N)'s bloody and broken violin,...

... the pair of shoes she once used the first time they met,...

V took one of those shoes, the right one, which she threw and he caught that night, and held it close to his heart.

Then, he remembered his own words to her that day.

** _“Those feet, my Lady,… I would kiss,… over,… and over again,… if I could,… ”_ **

His eyes stung, his heart feeling that same pang of pain once more. He brought the thing close to his lips, kissing it and pretended on fulfilling that foolish promise of his.

** _Being left by someone you loved,..._ **

** _... it hurts._ **

** _It hurts so,... damn,... much,... you thought the pain will kill you,…_ **

  
** _But, somehow, you’re still alive, and still dealing with the pain, alone and with no one to help you through that endless chain of sadness._ **

  
** _It hurts,…_ **

** _... doesn't it?_ **


	32. Father And Son

_Держи меня близко, крепко_  
_Заклятие явилось твое_  
_Это и есть la vie en rose._  
_Когда Ты целуешь меня_  
_Полные вздоха небеса_  
_Сквозь веки я вижу la vie en rose._  
_Если крепко прижмешь меня_  
_К сердцу, явлюсь я вне мира_  
_Там, где розы разцветают,_  
_Где ангелы с тобой поют,_  
_Где каждый день слова полны любви_  
_Я жду сердца твоего и души_  
_Сделай это и жизнь всегда будет_  
_La vie en rose._  
_Где каждый день слова полны любви_  
_Я жду сердца твоего и души_  
_Сделай это и жизнь всегда будет_  
_La vie en rose._

V woke up to the sound of Natasha's voice singing the Russian version of _La Vie En Rose_, and realized she was nowhere near him. He closed his eyes, rubbing them and trying to rid the sleep off them, and opened them once more, seeing the same unit he was staying at for almost two weeks.

Of course, (Y/N) hasn't been found yet, and they have, in fact, searched through all the places they could think of where she might be. They contacted Morrison, Trish, Lady, and Dante to join the search but, to no avail. He even worked both Cassandra and Andromeda to their bone to produce a vision, any kind at all, that could tell them where she went. But, they just couldn't trace her despite the fact that she was their former master. Even Griffon, who she was contracted with, announced one day that the markings on his skin that connected him to her vanished. He saw this, therefore proving that the familiar was not telling a lie.

It was like she disappeared off the face of the earth with no traces left, whatsoever.

He did have a vision, of an unknown person visiting her and taking her away.

But, who was this person? He has never seen them before.

Scratching the back of his head, he sat up from the sofa he was sleeping at, stood, and decided to go to the bathroom to wash his face. But, he was not even two steps in when his feet collided against something solid on the ground. He looked down at it and noticed the Yamato on the floor next to his feet.

Finally remembering that he used the weapon to go to different places in search of her, he picked it up and placed it on the table next to his metal cane.

Will he search for her today? Definitely.

But, where? He has searched practically _everywhere_.

With a deep sigh, V turned and finally decided to go to the -

He slowly looked back and took a good long look at the Yamato on the table. He strode towards it and effortlessly grabbed it. He unsheathed it and sheathed it once more.

Maybe. Just, maybe,...

V walked towards an empty space, unsheathed the Yamato, and effortlessly ripped a portal in mid air. He sheathed the weapon and walked towards the portal, hoping the vision he saw earlier would help him with his search,...

*

_As she was hopelessly browsing through a language manual she just bought, she almost bumped into a person rushing towards the plaza._

_"I'm sorry!" She apologized but, she was ignored, most probably because the person didn't understand her._

_Which led her to think that she was, yet again, in another non - English speaking country._

_She buried her nose on the pages of the manual with a map in it, wondering where Andromeda brought her this time,..._

_... then, she felt it. A pair of sharp eyes looking at her from a distance. She looked up from her manual and turned, noticing a lone painter on the pavement busily brushing away on his large canvas. She curiously looked at him, and a few moments later, he looked up at her._

_Noticing that he was finally seen, he shyly looked down on his work and continued working like nothing happened._

_She shook her head and smirked as she put a hand on her hip. Then, she simply walked towards him and saw, in utter surprise, what he was working on. It was a painting of her. Well, it was a work in progress but, it was definitely good!_

_"That looks awesome." And she was saying the truth._

_"Ti ringrazio, ma ho ancora molto da imparare." The painter replied._

_Her eyebrows furrowed as she browsed through her manual once more, trying her very best to know what language he just spoke. The painter noticed this and laughed, his beautiful voice ringing all over her head._

_"I only know a bit of English, so I hope you could understand me." The painter told her._

_(Y/N) breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing English on his lips and introduced herself. "Am I glad to hear that. My name is (Y/N). And you are?"_

_The painter smiled once more, the dimple on his cheek showing. "Molto piacere di conoscerti (Y/N), il mio nome e Cagliostro e sono un artista. As you can see."_

_"Oh, ah," she mumbled, scratching the back of her head in confusion. "Nice to meet you, ah,..."_

_"Cagliostro."_

_"Cagliostro! Yes,..."_

*

"Hey, stop right there!"

V heard that familiar voice as he arrived at the place. Then, all of a sudden, a little boy, about seven, ran towards him and hid behind him.

"I said,... FUCKING STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The poet looked up and saw Nero, wearing what looked like a white, frilly apron over his red shirt and ripped jeans, running towards him with all four of his arms ( both flesh and translucent wings ) raised above his head in anger. The little boy behind him clutched at his pants, clearly frightened of Nero.

"I think you're scaring the boy too much." V uttered as Nero's eyes widened upon seeing him.

The young Devil Hunter lowered his arms, a smile slowly creeping up his lips. "Ha! You have no idea how naughty that boy gets!"

"And how so?"

"Like that."

V turned just in time to see the little boy putting a caterpillar on the pocket of his pants, and when he noticed that he was finally seen, he gave him a wide, toothy smile. Then, he ran back to the little house where Nero just came from, the caterpillar still on his hands.

"See?" Nero told him.

"I could see that. Yes." The poet answered.

An awkward silence filled the air around them, and when Nero spoke once more, V felt his nerves tense.

It was actually the first time he properly spoke with Nero knowing that he's his son. And he, the long lost father.

"Would you like to come into the house?" Nero offered.

V cleared his throat and answered, "Gladly."

The awkward poet found himself sitting in one of the wooden chairs in the simple kitchen a few moments later surrounded by three little children who were very curious as to his sudden presence in the house.

"Why are your eyes green?" A little girl asked him as she stood on her little toes to take a closer look at V's eyes.

"Are you old?" The boy with the caterpillar questioned. "Because you have white hair!"

"Is your mother not feeding you well? You look so skinny!" The third child questioned as she poked V's arms.

"Alright, kids! Try not to terrorize that man and play somewhere else." Nero boomed as he entered the room.

"But, Nero!"

"You heard me! Now, go!"

The three children whined as they left V alone and went outside to play, finally giving him some privacy with Nero.

The young Devil Hunter sat down across V and noticed the wilting camellias in the lone flower vase in the middle of the table. "Whoa, that needs to be changed." He grimaced, then turned to V. "So, how's it going? Hope Nico's not annoying you."

"No, she's not." V answered.

"Oh."

There was that awkward silence once more. God, how could he explain everything that happened since the last fifteenth of May?!

"Nero, I - " V stuttered until Nero held up his hands to stop him from talking.

"I know. You don't need to explain. Dante told me everything."

_Of course, Dante did_. "I see."

The son hummed as he leaned an elbow against the wooden table. "So, have you seen her? (Y/N)?"

_And that too?_ "No. Not yet."

"Oh, that's too bad. You know, Kyrie really wants to meet her personally. To have some girl talk, you know what I'm saying."

"Indeed."

"Hmm."

As Nero noticed the ever growing bags under V's eyes, he mustered all his courage to finally confront him regarding that one _thing_ that occurred in Red Grave when they were still working together to bring down the Dreadnought.

And so, with difficulty in breathing, Nero cleared his throat and went on. "About what happened two weeks ago. In Red Grave, during the Dreadnought operation,..."

V noticed the change in Nero's tone and caught on with what's probably going to happen next. "Yes,... ?"

Nero's eyebrows furrowed as his lips clearly formed a thin line. He didn't know how to start the conversation, and now, he was actually trembling from his knee down to his feet. "Did you,... umm,... how do I say this?"

V watched his son as he grabbed fistfuls of his hair and started pulling on them like he really was having difficulty opening up to him. He took pity upon the youth and smirked at him. "Go on." He urged.

"Okay." Nero breathed as he tried to calm down. "Do you,... umm,... did you,... ah,... ? Shit! Did you really love (Y/N)? Hey, I know the question is weird but, I - "

"I love her. And I still do." V answered truthfully.

"Okay. Forgive me for being an asshole for asking this but, why did you make things so fucking complicated? I mean, I know you're being manipulated and all but, you should have, at least, reciprocated when you still had the chance. Come on, man! You were so obvious as daylight back then! And I could still remember Nico and I have told you to confess but, you didn't. Well, she did but, look what happened to her."

"Forgive me." _That's all I could say._ "I do not have the right to say anything else other than forgive me."

"Well," Nero answered as he scratched the back of his head. "... there's no point in that now, is there?"

"... there isn't."

Nero sighed as he leaned an elbow against the table once more. "I asked her this the last time we met. I said, _so, you still love him? V?_ And do you know what she said? She told me, _after all this time,..."_

_"Yes."_

Both father and son turned as they saw Kyrie enter the room. She was holding some fresh pink camellia flowers that she, then, put in the flower vase in exchange for the old, wilted ones.

"Nero has told that story to me many times already." Kyrie told V as she arranged the fragile flowers. "It's too bad that I didn't get to meet her."

"Kyrie, you're making the man feel even more guilty." Nero told her as he lovingly watched her take away the wilted flowers.

"And you did so first." The lovely woman candidly answered.

"Yeah. Right. Oh, umm, Kyrie, I'd like you to meet, umm,..."

"You can just call me V." The poet introduced himself as he held out a hand in front of her. "Nero's father."

Nero's little gesture of scratching his temple while shyly hiding his flustered face didn't go unnoticed by both the poet and the woman. Kyrie smiled as she took V's on her own. "My name is Kyrie. It's so nice to finally meet you. Oh and, the children gave me this. They told me it's for you because you looked sad." Kyrie said as she took out a single piece of paper from her pocket.

"Thank you." V unfolded the paper and saw a charming illustration of a family in it. Of a father, a mother, and their two children. All four of them were standing right next to a house, the huge, yellow sun smiling down at them.

Then, V was plunged into that vision once more,...

*

_"Cagliostro?" (Y/N) called as she saw the multiple paintings of her in the wall of the painter's house._

_Over the years, the man never stopped capturing her image on his own canvas, and over those ten years she has known him, his paintings of her gradually became more and more accurate as he improved with the craft he's passionate with._

_But, now, she must say goodbye to Cagliostro. For as of late, some people were beginning to notice the lack of changes within her physical form._

_Like Alicia, who mysteriously pushed her away from her life, they were now suspecting something about her. And they should, for she was not entirely herself for the last ten years._

_In fact, she was no longer herself the moment she let those entities possess her body for this mission she's trying to fulfill over those said years since escaping the Pale Ones._

_"Cagliostro?!" She called once more and was utterly surprised to see him emerging from his room bearing a bouquet of pink camellias._

_She felt her stomach drop on the floor and her heart twist in pain as she saw him walk towards her with that look on his face._

_"Cagliostro, I - "_

_"(Y/N)," the painter began. "... durante tutto questo tempo il mio cuore era votato all'arte e alla pittura, e i miei esercizi e miglioramenti erano i miei baci e carezze per lei, pensavo che sarebbe stata l'unica cosa che avrei amato per tutta la mia vita ma ora ho realizzato che ho qualcun'altro da amare, qualcuno a cui voglio dare tutto il mio amore così come quello che ho verso l'arte, se non di più,... quella persona se tu (Y/N)."_

_She felt her eyes sting the moment Cagliostro knelt down before her, offering her the lovely bouquet. "No, please. Don't do this,..."_

_"(Y/N), I want to be with you for the rest of my life. My heart is yours. Please, say you'll be mine."_

_She gulped and nervously pushed the bouquet away. "S - sei licenziat - to."_

_Cagliostro looked at her in confusion upon hearing the broken Italian she just uttered. "I'm fired?"_

_(Y/N)'s eyebrows shot up her hairline at what he told her. She quickly took the Italian language manual from her pocket, browsed through it in panic, and confirmed that **Sei Licenziato** does, indeed, mean **You're Fired** in English."_

_She winced in total embarrassment, and as she took hold of the painter's calloused hands, looking at him straight in the eye, she spoke, "Umm, listen. The reason I'm travelling a lot is because I've been searching for someone. A man."_

_"Do you,... love him?" It took her a moment before she could answer, and when she finally did, she could not bear to see the look of disappointment in the painter's eyes. "I do. Yes."_

_Cagliostro smiled, his expression giving her an unexplainable kind of ache on the chest, then stood._

_"Then, I hope you would be happy with the man you truly love. He doesn't know how fortunate he is to have you."_

_And with those final words, the painter sadly walked away from her life,..._

*

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"Yes!"

"Oh, my God! I'm gonna be a father!" Nero proclaimed. He went towards V and shook him on the shoulders, finally snapping him off his reverie. "You hear that, V? Kyrie is pregnant! I'm gonna be a father!"

"... what?" The poet mumbled, not quite catching yet on which parts of their conversation he missed due to the sudden visions of (Y/N)'s past that flashed through his mind without a warning.

"Come on, man! You know what this means! You're gonna be a grandfather!"

_Me? A grandfather?_ "Well, I,..."

The happy couple eagerly looked at him, waiting for his answer. He smiled at the two of them and held out a hand, but not to shake theirs. A blinding kind of light flashed from his open palm, and seconds later, the Yamato materialized right on his hand.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Nero spoke as he shielded Kyrie. He was alarmed of V's sudden movement and it was perfectly understandable. Who could really blame him?

"Then, it's time I return this to you." V declared as he handed the weapon to Nero.

"Wait, are you sure about that? The Yamato belongs to you!"

"It did. And now, I'm passing it onto you. Protect your family at all cost using this. Believe me, I insist." And V was being truthful. It was the vision he saw earlier, after all.

Now, whether this could really help him with his search for (Y/N) still remained a mystery. He just saw himself giving the Yamato back to Nero, and nothing else.

But, somehow, him giving his most prized possession to his son felt good to him. It felt like a huge thorn was suddenly pulled out from his chest and allowed him to breath more freely. It helped his body feel lighter, like a huge burden was finally removed from his shoulders.

So, yes. Vision or no, V decided it was the right thing to do.

And Nero? He cautiously took the Yamato from V's hand as he looked suspiciously at him. V smirked as he practically shoved the weapon to his son's hand. He, then, took his metal cane, which was leaning against one of the chairs, and was about to leave when Nero called his attention.

"Hey!"

V turned just in time to see Nero giving him the middle finger. Kyrie saw this and practically whacked him on the back of his head.

"Ouch! Why did you do that for?!"

"Because you're being rude to your father!"

"That was for those times he abandoned me as a kid! And this," Nero uttered as he went closer to V and embraced him tightly, his action surprising the poor poet. "... this is for acknowledging me as your son. Thank you for everything, father."

As much as V hated to admit it, he felt a lump suddenly growing in his throat. And as V felt his eyes sting, his arms automatically went around his son, wrapping him in an embrace that finally let his, and Nero's, tears fall down.

And as Kyrie watched the tender scene between father and son, her eyes widened all of a sudden as she remembered something. She ran towards her and Nero's shared bedroom, took something from a drawer, and went back to the kitchen. And as she put the thing on V's hand, the poet gave her a confused look.

"It's a plane ticket. To Corsica Island." Kyrie said. "We could never use it because we can't just leave the children here. So, you can have it."

"Thank you." V uttered, his voice raw and hoarse with emotion.

"No. Thank you." Kyrie told him as she embraced V. "You're gonna find her soon. Believe me."

V was still looking at Kyrie's simple gift with pride when he arrived back at the apartment later that evening.

"Ya look like ye're in a good mood." Nico told him as she placed her backpack on the table near (Y/N)'s stuff.

"I' am. Yes."

"Good for ya, then." Nico reached for something in her bag and produced a strange looking thing from it. "Here, I'll give this to ya. (Y/N) and I filmed this during the Dreadnought operation."

_A,.. movie? Like what (Y/N) loves?_ "What kind of movie is this?" V inquired as he looked at the dvd suspiciously.

The freckled woman suddenly became nervous as she started sweating on the forehead. "Ah, ah, ah,... you just have to watch it, ya know?! See for yourself!"

"Let's have a movie marathon, V!" Griffon suggested as he pointed at (Y/N)'s mountain of movie collections near the television. Even Shadow was already eagerly waiting for it as she sat on the floor, clutching the Elmo plushie that Nico gave her to stop her from crying.

_You're gonna find her soon. Believe me._

"What's the harm in doing it?" V answered in agreement to Griffon's suggestion.

"Alright! Gonna leave ya three now. Don't leave the television open." Nico said as she grabbed her bag and left the apartment.

***

Later during the early hours of dawn, Griffon was already bawling his eyes out from the last movie they watched. Shadow was already asleep on the sofa, and V? Let's just say that he got emotional all over again.

** _Titanic? Moulin Rouge? The Fault In Our Stars? The Time Traveler's Wife?_ **

Heck! All of those movies depicted a lover dying from different sorts of causes!

"Can we watch somethin' else, V?" The demonic familiar asked as he wiped his own tears and blew his nose for the ndth time on a tissue. "Mah eyes are swollen here! Doesn't she own a comedy?!"

V searched through piles of dvd until he remembered about the mystery dvd that Nico gave him. Said she and (Y/N) _filmed_ this, themselves.

"How about this?" He said as he fed it to the player.

A few moments later, (Y/N) came into view on the television wearing what looked like an unflattering pair of overalls that were several sizes too big for her.

_“Is this it?”_ (Y/N) asked as she distastefully looked down at her outfit.

_“Pretty much, yeah.”_ Nico answered in the background._ "Hey, uh, I need you to move farther away.”_

_“Like this?”_

_“Honey, I mean, further, further away. I don’t want to get disintegrated!”_

_“Fine,…”_

"Wait a second here, I remember that day!" Griffon erupted as he pointed at the screen. "Hey, V?"

_“Okay! I need you to transform on the count of three!”_

_“Alright!”_

_“Whenever you’re ready!”_

"Hey, uhh, V,...?"

_“I’ am!”_

_“Alright, then! ONE, TWO, THREE!”_

After watching that certain video, V's eyes remained wide open until the next morning, his over - active imagination getting the better of him,...

... and of his carefully restrained desires,...

He who desires but act not breeds pestilence, indeed.


	33. Her Precious Friends

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his fingers gliding through the strings of (Y/N)'s violin. He opened his eyes, putting the antique Guarneri ( that made Dante even more broke than ever before ) under his left jaw, and tuned it for a few minutes, carefully turning the fragile pegs and gliding the bow against the four strings.

And when he finally finished tuning the violin, he started playing Paganini's most popular Caprice.

However, four notes in and someone was already interrupting him. He heard someone knocking impatiently on the door.

V sighed, carefully placing the violin back to its case, and went towards the door to answer whoever it was. It really wasn't the right time for him to have any visitors, since Nico was away, and no one would be able to entertain them or tend to their needs other than him, and Griffon and Shadow were definitely not an option for that.

_But, what if it is her,...?_

With a slight ray of hope that the visitor might really be (Y/N), herself, he opened the door, expecting to see her lovely face, wanting to embrace her and welcome her back,...

_"Joyeux anniversaire! Joyeux anniversaire! Joyeux anniversaire, (Y/N)! Joyeux anniversa - !"_

"Petya!" A tall and haughty woman whispered as she nudged the shorter man next to her who was singing that French song.

The man, who was startled to see V, scratched his head and turned to the people behind him. "Is this the right place?"

"I'm sure of it." A dark haired young woman, who was browsing through a manual of some sort, answered.

"Maybe she moved a long time ago?" A bearded man, who was as tall as the lady who nudged the other guy, next to her answered.

"Who are these people, V?" Griffon, who joined the poet on the doorway to see who the visitors were, asked.

"I,... have an idea,..." V admitted as he glanced one more time at the guests: the tall woman, the short man ( apparently his name was Petya ) who was singing, the dark haired young woman behind them, the bearded man next to her, and an old nun at the back.

_There is no doubt about it. They were,..._

"No, this is the right place." The nun told them, making them turn to her. "I'm sure of it." She said, then glanced at V. "I believe you know our friend, (Y/N)?"

"Yes." V answered. Not really wanting to keep them standing outside, anyway, he made way for them and invited them in, and a few minutes later, all of them were seated on the sofa, awkwardly waiting for anyone to speak as they fumbled on the things each of them were carrying.

_Presents? And,... groceries?_

"Umm, sir," 

"You can call me V."

"Mr. V," the young woman said. " ... where is (Y/N)?"

V felt his heart stop for a moment. Of course, they would go looking for her. He just didn't expect it to happen this soon. And how would he answer them? That she left because he hurt her?

"She's,... not here,... as of the moment." V struggled with his answer as he tried not to look directly into the young woman's eyes.

However, the nun sensed all of this despite the poet hiding his emotions and intentions too well. She knew him from _her_ stories, after all.

And she knew, _sensed_, that something was definitely wrong.

"May we know when she'll be back?" The young woman prodded on.

_Oh, no,..._ "I,... do not know." And it was the truth.

The tall lady, who was sitting next to Petya, gave the poet a strange look from head to foot, seemingly in appraisal of him, and raised an eyebrow.

_White haired man,..._

_... who plays the violin,..._

Then, like a landslide, everything went back to Natasha. Her eyes darting from the violin on the table then to V, she spoke.

"Ты тот мужчина из-за кого она так больно плакала!"

V didn't understand a single word she said but, it made Petya's eyes widen nervously.

"Natasha!" Petya whispered hysterically to his wife as the other guests glanced at them in both suspicion and concern.

_Petya looking like that at the woman, she definitely said something not good about me._ V thought as Petya looked back at him with a sheepish smile.

"Ah, w - what she said is that s - she knew you from (Y/N)'s stories." Petya stuttered, only making V more suspicious. Then, he looked back at the haughty woman. "Natasha, please,..."

"Это не шутки, Петя! Никакой мужчина не должен вызывать у никакой женщины плач!"

"What's going on?" The young woman asked, clearly confused as to what Natasha was saying.

"Natasha, dear, I think it's better if we treat our host with the utmost respect." The nun spoke, trying to break the tense atmosphere between the sharp - tongued woman and V. Petya translated for her, and upon hearing the nun's intention, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she calmed herself.

Exhaling and giving V one last look of disdain, she stood up and went towards the window. "Мне нужен свежий боздух."

The bearded man next to the young woman watched Natasha as she isolated herself from the group and wondered what set her off. There must be something that the couple knew that they didn't.

But, what was it? And why was Natasha so upset, if not mad, about it?

The man, then, turned to V, who was leaning against the wall next to a strange - looking bald and lanky boy, and spoke, "You said that you don't know when she'll be back. Where did she go, exactly?"

"Okay, Mr. Foreign Hippie, that's enough questions for today." Griffon interrupted, holding out a hand in front of V to keep the poet from making things worse. "Why did you come here, anyway?"

"We might have forgotten the actual date but, I think it's her birthday today." The young woman answered with a smile. "And we really wanted to surprise her."

_She really has grown,..._

"My name is Alicia. I'm a college student from Spain." She introduced herself. Then, turning to her companions, she graciously gestured and introduced them, as well. "This is Mr. Petya."

"Bonjour!" The jolly Frenchman greeted.

"He's the owner of **_Roses And Vodka_** in France. And that's Ms. Natasha - "

**_"Solagne."_ **The stubborn woman, who was still staring out of the window, corrected, enunciating the syllables in a low and clear voice.

"_Solagne_. Ms. Solagne." Alicia repeated cautiously. "Singer from **_Roses And Vodka_**, and Mr. Petya's wife."

"You can call me Sister Christina." The nun introduced herself. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

"Likewise." The poet, who was still feeling tensed and uncomfortable, answered.

"And this is Cagliostro!" Alicia tapped the bearded man's shoulder as she introduced him with a proud smile. "He's a popular artist from Italy."

But, of course, none of them had to introduce themselves in the first place. He has seen them all through (Y/N)'s memories.

_And he knew that they would hate him thoroughly when they find out,..._

Alicia clapped her hands, getting the attention of everyone. "Okay! So, why don't we liven things up by preparing dinner for everyone? I hope you don't mind us using the kitchen, Mr. V."

"Wait a second here! We - " Griffon began but he was cut off as Alicia went on with her pep talk.

"Mr. Petya, you can do the drinks, right?"

"Naturally!" Petya proudly declared as he took out a bottle of Vodka from his huge shopping bag. "I didn't come all the way from France unprepared."

"And Sister Christina, you can help me with meals, right? I mean, if it's not too much for you."

"Of course,..." The nun answered, still a bit hesitant, as she glanced at V's direction.

"And Cagliostro, you do the - "

"I can do anything for dear (Y/N)." The Italian interjected. It seemed that he was just as nervous as V was. And who could really blame him? "I just wanted to know where she is and when she'll be back."

"She will be back, I know!" Alicia exclaimed, not letting anyone, or anything, suck out the optimism in her. "I mean, she always keeps her promises."

"But, didn't she stop seeing us a year ago? If she really wanted to see us, then - "

"I know. I only want us to meet again and - "

"I'm afraid to say that,"

All of the guests, even Natasha, turned towards V when he suddenly spoke, looking at them with a strange expression on his face as he leaned on his metal cane.

" ... your efforts,... would only be wasted."

There was a momentary silence between them after hearing those words that seemed to have fallen right before them like a bomb, and when V didn't make any move to take back what he said or simply wave it off as a crude and tasteless joke, Alicia stepped forward and tried to break through the tense atmosphere.

"I know I made a mistake back then when I pushed her away but," she began, feeling her eyes already beginning to burn. " ... I want to make up for it! I want to apologize for what I did. I want to fix everything between us!" She took a sharp breath as the tears finally poured out of her eyes. "Please, allow us to do this for her, Mr. V."

V stepped closer and regarded her coldly, hoping for her to just give up, drop everything, and leave. He felt really rude for doing so but, he really had no other choice. Their efforts,... would truly be wasted.

"You don't understand,... anything." V told her, his voice not faltering, his resolve as hard as stone. "Please, do not make this any harder for all of us."

"If we don't understand anything, then why won't you explain everything?!" Cagliostro, now losing his temper with the unknown, mysterious man, retorted.

"Okay, people! Let's not make this complicated, please?" Petya butted in just in time before Cagliostro could do anything. He turned to V and spoke, "Could you, please, just tell us when she'll be back? Then, we'll be on our way, I promise."

"Didn't ya understand what Shakespeare just said?!" Griffon, now truly annoyed with all the visitors, yelled. "She's gone! Bam! And we don't know when she'll be back!"

After hearing the familiar's words, Cagliostro looked like he was just hit by someone really hard, Petya and Alicia both looked shocked and worried, and Natasha, who honestly did not understand any word that has been exchanged but could understand the situation, anyway, only gave them a sideways glance.

"What do you mean by that?" Petya asked, still unable to believe those words. "I mean, she can't be - "

"She can't be dead, right?!" Alicia questioned as she went closer to V, wanting to grab the man by the collar and shake him.

The poet looked down at her and stood his ground. "She's not,... dead. I assure you."

"What did you do to her?" Everyone, including Natasha, herself, turned towards the painter as he dangerously went closer towards V, making Griffon and Petya come forward to grab each man should a fight start between them. "TELL ME! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

And V? He just didn't see any more reason to keep the truth from them any longer.

With a deep sigh and a tilt of the head as he tried to keep himself calm, he said, "I hurt her."

Sister Christina turned away, feeling hurt at what V just told them. She knew all of (Y/N)'s sacrifices for ten years just to find him. She witnessed her efforts, and saw her deep longing.

And to hear that painful truth from the man she loved,...

She really felt that this visit was a huge mistake.

Before anyone could stop him, Cagliostro tackled V and grabbed him by the collar. Despite Griffon, Petya, and Alicia's efforts to stop him and break them free, the painter just couldn't be stopped. V did not even do anything, nor lift a single finger, to stop the man from assaulting him.

He deserved it, anyway. And more.

"TU!" Cagliostro screamed at V's face. "Come ti permetti di mostrare la tua faccia qui dopo quello che le hai fatto?! Vuoi sapere che e successo?! E sparita?! Per causa tua, perché l'hai ferita, a tal punto che ha deciso di andarsene, e Dio solo sa dov'è ora! Ho voglia di tirarti un pugno, ho davvero tanta voglia di picchiarti, ma non meriti nemmeno un dito!" He let go of the poet's now ripped collar, pushing him as he did so. 

However, Cagliostro was far from done with him.

Trembling and pointing angrily at him as tears started pouring out, he said, "Perché mi comporto così? **_Perché lei ti ama, ma allo stesso tempo io amo lei e persino sapendo che questo mi fa male ho voluto che lei fosse felice con te, ma ora lei e sparita! Per colpa tua!"_**

Before the hurt and angry painter could utter any more words, a hand forcefully went down his shoulder and actually turned him around. It was the Russian singer, herself.

"Хватит, голубчик." Natasha told him. Seeing that Cagliostro was utterly confused of what she just said, she spoke once more in broken English, "That is enough!"

Cagliostro's eyes widened as he shook her hand off his shoulder, making Petya angrily scream something incomprehensible at him as he automatically went to his wife's side. "Zitto!" He screamed at the woman. "Tu non sei nemmeno in grado di capire come si sente lei adesso, perché te pensi solo a te stesso!"

Natasha, who only rolled her eyes at the painter's display of awful temper, muttered something under her breath and faced V. "Правду говоря," She began. "ты заслужил всё, что случилось. Теперь тебе надо столкнуться с последствиями того что ты наделал. Давай, Петя, пойдём." She turned to Petya and gestured at their belongings on the floor. "This is,... a waste of my time. Let's go, Petya."

And with a haughty toss of her regal head, Natasha finally left the unit, followed by her husband Petya, who only gave them an apologetic look. Cagliostro, who finally calmed down, but was still mad at V for what happened to (Y/N), followed a few moments later, dragging along the shopping bags but leaving behind his still wrapped present for her.

Which left only Alicia and Sister Christina behind.

"So," Griffon began a few awkward seconds later. " ... if ya wanna say somethin' else, then do it now."

"That is not our intention." The nun retorted as she regarded the familiar with pity. "We only came for our precious friend. And we apologize for what happened."

"Don't." V told her as he shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for. You didn't do,... anything wrong."

With a crestfallen heart, Alicia took her present from the table and gave it to V. The confused poet looked at it, then spoke, "You don't understand. I - "

"Open it, Mr. V." Alicia requested as she took a deep breath and braced herself. "Please."

Feeling wretched for hurting (Y/N)'s friends and for being callous and cold with their feelings, he obliged, unwrapping the gift and revealing what's inside the box.

And with a heavy and aching heart, he took out the embroidery and realized what it was.

It was what Alicia's mother was doing before her death.

And now, he could finally see the painstakingly embroidered words, etched with care and love.

** _"El amor es paciente, el amor es amable. No envidia, no alardea, no es orgulloso. No deshonra a otros, no es egoísta, no se enfurece con facilidad, no guarda registro de errores pasados. El amor no se deleita con el mal, al contrario, se alegra con la verdad."_ **

**_"Love is patient, love is kind."_** Sister Christina translated for V. **_"It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self - seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs._** Truly,... a magnificent verse."

"This," V stuttered, looking at the women as his eyes started to burn with the tears he has been holding for what seemed like weeks. " ... is the most beautiful poem,... I've ever heard."

"It is." Sister Christina replied. "It has brought the strongest of men down to their knees, and made the proudest of women weep. It is the most powerful poem in existence, and yet, its meaning is easily forgotten by many."

"I finished it, since my mother wasn't able to do it." Alicia confessed. "She died,... just before completing it. And I still have regrets of pushing (Y/N) away that day. I just,... couldn't accept the things that happened to my family, and I made the mistake of taking it out on her. I want to say sorry. I want to see her again! She's,... the sweetest friend I have, and I pushed her away." She looked up at V, then went on, "Mr. V, I know you feel the same way. And I know that you'll be able to atone for your own sins and find her. And when you do, will you, please, give this to her?"

V glanced at the work of art on his hand, then to the precious friend who made it. He nodded and clutched the thing close to his heart. "I will. I promise. I just don't know if,... she'll ever forgive me for what I have done."

"She will." The nun gently told him as she placed a hand on his in an effort to comfort him. "It's what true love means. Forgiving one another and making a fresh start, learning from the mistakes of the past and looking forward to a brand new future."

"I'm afraid." V admitted, confessing to the nun and letting out all his fears. "What if I hurt her again? I don't want,... to hurt her anymore."

"You won't, Mr. V." Alicia answered. "I believe in you."

"And you must learn to forgive yourself." The nun added. "It is never too late to try again after failing for the first time."

"But, I don't even know how to find her. It was like,... she's disappeared off the face of the planet,... and - "

The nun tightened her grip on V's hands as she looked at him more closely. "You're wrong about that, dear. Think as if you're her. Where would you go if you needed someone to talk to? If you needed a reliable shoulder to lean on?"

"But, she's not with Dante, or - "

The poet stopped talking as some idea formed in his mind.

_Could it be,... ?_

"Hey, ah, V, you okay?" Griffon asked as he waved a hand before the poet's face.

"Why, yes." V answered. "I'm perfectly well. In fact,..."

Sister Christina smiled as she saw how the realization finally hit V. She let go of his hands and took her own present from her shoulder bag. And unlike Alicia's, or Cagliostro's, or the couple's, Sister Christina's was unwrapped.

It was a pink hoodie that she made, herself.

She carefully handed it to V and let the poet's hands feel the warmth and softness of the material.

"And I trust you will give my present, as well."

V looked up from the gifts and faced the women who gave him hope. Who made him realize how wrong he was of everything.

Who gave him an idea where (Y/N) could be.

"I don't know how to thank you." He told them with much unbridled emotion in his hoarse voice.

The women smiled at him.

"You don't have to." Alicia told him. "Just find her and let us know when you do."

"By then," Sister Christina added. "We could finally have a proper birthday celebration for her. And we'd invite everyone!"

And with final words of encouragement, the women finally left, leaving behind a ray of hope that enlightened V's heart and gave him enough motivation to give it one last shot of finding (Y/N).

***

_"She's in France right now! She hasn't left that place since the citywide evacuation."_

"Where exactly in France,... if this fool may ask?"

_"Uhh,... hold yer panties,... Ah! Corsair Island, I think?"_

" ... Corsair?"

_"Wait, that's not the one. Oh! I know! Corsica! **Corsica Island**!"_

"I see."

_"Why did ya ask?"_

"No particular reason."

_"O,... kay? Well, gotta go! Kyrie's callin' me for dinner."_

"Thank you,... for everything, Nico."

_"Nah, don't mention it."_

"And one more thing."

_"What?"_

"Could you,... take care of this unit while I'm gone?"

_"Gotcha! Wait,... WHAT?! Hey, man - !"_

V hung the phone and glanced at his familiars.

What Cassandra has shown him, it was real! Him going to Fortuna and giving the Yamato back to Nero,....

Because of it, he received the plane ticket to Corsica Island from Kyrie! And that's where _**they**_ were! And nobody even guessed it! (Y/N)'s there, all along!

"Are ya sure of this, V?" Griffon asked him. "Are ya sure ya wanna do this alone? I mean, you could be there in the blink of an eye with Andromeda's help,..."

"I know." V answered. "But, I don't want to use any kind if power to reach her. I want to do it,... with my own effort."

"Okay! Whatever ya say, Shakespeare."

Shadow, who was still clutching at her Elmo plushie, went forward and threw herself at V like a child who doesn't want her father to leave.

V hugged her and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll bring her back, I promise."

** _I,... promise,..._ **


	34. The Disposed Vessel

_“May I have the honor of this dance, my lady?”_

_"I long to see such things as those you have probably seen. I want to experience everything and I wish to see them with my own eyes. See for myself what these poems of mine describe. But, the idea of doing those things alone,… do not please me, at all.”_

_“Would I be selfish if I ask you to accompany me, little wanderer?”_

_“Those scars,… symbolize the true enjoyment and will that you felt doing that special something you adore. Those feet, my Lady,… I would kiss,… over,… and over again,… if I could,… ”_

_“What matters is that you still have precious people around you, my Lady. You must focus on not losing them, as well.”_

_“Those feelings you have for me, I’m afraid we do not share them mutually.” _

_"I do feel obliged to tell you that I’ am not the person you seem to know. I’ am neither a good person, nor a hero you consider. In fact, I’ am the villain of your story. And I, may I add, only helped you because you seem so,… useless. Why would you even take up this massive commission in the first place? You are not as half as strong as the weakest Devil Hunter here to begin with. You are just a weak human who relies on others for survival."_

** _“I choose,… POWER!”_ **

_"ENOUGH!"_

_You woke up to the sound of his frightening voice that seemed to rattle the whole place. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness inside your room as you hysterically felt for the things around you. And when your cold and trembling hands reached what felt like the soft and smooth bed covers you haven't used for what seemed like ages, your heart felt like it would shatter. You know he was there, just outside your dark and suffocating room, and you knew full well that if you get up, walk to that door, and open it, you will see him._

_But, at the same time, you knew you can't._

_How you've wanted so much to go to him, to throw yourself at him, to embrace him, and tell him that you love him very much but, you know you can't._

_"I choose,... POWER!"_

_Those were the words that he told you after you bore your whole, fragile heart to him. It,... hurt you, and you knew you would be lying if you said it didn't. It hurts, and you could never deny that fact._

_Then, darkness. You couldn't remember anything else after that. What happened after that? And how long ago was that? A week? A month? A year?_

_You tried to move an inch, however, an unbelievable sensation of pain hit your mid - section, your arms, and your legs. You covered your mouth, trying to stifle the scream of horrified pain that tried to escape from it as you heard some more, incomprehensible noises outside. It seemed that he was not alone. There were others,..._

_... but you didn't have any idea who they were,..._

_... only that they sounded familiar._

_With a huge amount of effort, you carefully sat up as you propped up on your elbows, still feeling the excruciating pain in your body. You carefully swung your right leg off the edge of the bed first, followed by your left one. When you felt the coldness of the floor through your toes, you slowly put your feet down, then tried to stand,..._

_... only for you to collapse and scramble on the floor. You swiftly covered your mouth once more and closed your eyes as you stopped yourself from screaming and crying._

_Everything hurts. Everything._

_You remained on the floor curled up like this as your tears fell silently from your face. Your arms on your stomach and your legs folded, you stayed there, embracing the coldness and loneliness and waiting for those ear - shattering sounds to subside. And when they finally did, you took a deep breath and tried to stand once more. It became awfully quiet but, you couldn't care less. At least, they were gone. He was gone._

_And that was entirely better compared to him pushing you away and physically and emotionally hurting you yet again._

_With a slight limp, you made your way towards the door, and,..._

_All of a sudden, you heard it - a knock. On your front door._

_Your hand abruptly left the doorknob as the knock became more and more impatient. You were about to go back to your own bed, cover yourself with those heavy bed sheets, and pretend that you didn't hear anything, when you heard a familiar voice._

_"(Y/N)? It's me! Are you there?!"_

_It's her!_

_Despite the pain in your stomach and limbs, you flung open the door and sped towards the front door, ignoring the mess in the living room and even failing to notice your precious antique record on the table. You grabbed the brass doorknob, flung open the door, and,..._

_"(Y/N)?!" She said, looking so shocked upon seeing your appearance. "What happened to - ?!"_

_But, your friend wasn't able to finish her sentence as you threw yourself at her and cried your miserable little heart out. Your friend wrapped you in her arms and allowed you to let it all out on her despite not knowing the things that happened to you._

_"T - take me," you sobbed. " ... away from here! P - please, Patty. P - please!"_

***

You stared at your tired face in the mirror of the bathroom, pulling at a particularly dark and large bag under one of your eyes with a finger and looking at the pale flesh underneath it.

With a frown, you left your eye and looked closely at your hollow cheeks. You clicked your tongue as you noticed that they've gotten a bit thinner in just a few days. But, what really caught your attention was the few strands of hair that covered your forehead. You reach out with your right hand, brushing your hair with your fingers and slicking it up to confirm your suspicion,...

... and you were right. You were a hundred percent sure that there were only a few about two weeks ago but, now, it almost covered half of your head.

White hair. Or more accurately, _silver - grey hair._

You couldn't help but sigh as you let your hair go. You slightly stepped away from the mirror and grabbed your shirt from the counter, putting it over your head and wearing it, covering the large, ugly scar on your stomach. Then, you grabbed your sweat pants and wore it, effectively concealing the equally huge and ugly scars on your thighs. Finally, you went back to your bedroom and grabbed your long - sleeved turtle neck from your bed post, wearing it and covering those bruise - like scars on your arms.

Tying the end of your long hair and tossing it to your back, you finally went out as much as you hated it. And only then did your day begin.

You were like that for nearly three months after you left Red Grave, and it was rather safe to say that during that period of time, you have easily become an angst magnet with legs who only eats, breathes, and sleeps, somehow.

_Somehow_. Not to mention your tears' nasty habit of pouring from your already tired and battered eyes every night before sleeping.

During those first few weeks of crying, the only things that came to your mind were the torturous thoughts and painful memories of what happened between you and him. The moment your mind made the huge mistake of conjuring his image, you couldn't help those awful tears from coming out. Hell, you even thought that you could never move on from that. 

But, alas, you were wrong. 

For the next few weeks after those angst - riddled sessions of crying, well, you still cried. Not only because you could still perfectly remember how he looked like and how his voice sounded like after all those weeks ago, no. It was because you felt yourself and the world around you getting heavier and heavier, and as each day and night passed, you felt yourself getting weaker and weaker to the point of breaking down. Your wounds were not healing as opposed to those times when they healed in a heartbeat. Your agility seemed to have deserted you, and the happiness, if there was any, that was left in your heart seemed to have abandoned you, as well. You were getting thinner by the day, and now, _oh, fuck,_ now, you have white hair. Yes, your once thick and lustrous (H/C) hair was rapidly turning white. Which could only mean one, no, two things.

Number one: he was able to obtain the entities inside you that gave you immense power and kept you immortal for ten whole years.

And number two: now that these entities were gone, you were rapidly getting weaker, kind of like a side effect after all those years of taking in all the damage that should've ended your life in a heartbeat.

No, _weaker_ was the more gentle way of describing what was happening to your body.

If you were totally being honest with yourself, you would admit that, yes, you were rapidly, and alarmingly, getting _older_.

But, who cares, anyway? After all, nobody would even notice. All those years of doing good to others did nothing to alleviate your pain. All those years of saving others did nothing to save yourself from your inevitable fate.

All those times, and effort, and years, of crossing the oceans and exerting your body to its limit and beyond just for that one mission, and that _one man_, that, you thought, could save you from your own misery and give you the future you, so, craved for, did nothing to ease your slowly dying heart and stop your abnormal aging.

You shook your head as you chuckled at the thought.

No, you were not simply getting weaker or older. You were _dying_, and you knew it.

But, when?

_Ah, it didn't matter, did it?_

"It doesn't matter anymore." You whispered as you absent - mindedly stared at the spoonful of cereal that was drowning in cream before your very eyes.

"Ah, sorry?" Patty, who was at the other end of the table, also eating cereal, asked as she peeled her eyes off the television.

You put the spoon in your mouth and ate the cereal, smiling as you did so. "Nothing." You muttered after swallowing the food.

The young, blonde woman raised a questioning eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Perfectly fine." You lamely replied as you took another spoonful of the sugary breakfast.

And this made Patty even more worried than ever before.

Ever since seeing you injured and broken like that, Patty had no other choice but to yield to your selfish request of being taken away from that place. And how could she ever refuse you? Not when you cried and begged like that, no.

Still, it was so hard for Patty to see you like that: crying your eyes out for nights on end until you fall asleep, refusing food most of the time, hell, even refusing to go outside and enjoy the sun. During those torturous months, she witnessed how your voice became hoarse and your throat worn out due to constant crying, she saw how your once healthy body changed drastically due to self - imposed starvation, she even watched helplessly as the sweet face of her friend morphed into something that was truly unrecognizable.

Depressed, unhealthy, and perpetually tired,...

... this is the (Y/N) that she never thought she'd see in her entire life.

And Patty knew, sensed, the cause of all this life - threatening sadness. You may not have uttered a single word about it, and she never forced you to, but the way you stopped listening to old love songs ( she once saw you turning off the radio at the first lyrics of the song, _End Of The World_ ), the way you ignored the movies you once adored watching with her ( and that was _Titanic_ she was talking about ), and the way you changed the topic at the mere mention of the word _love_ ( once, she hasn't even finished saying the accursed word when you cut her off by introducing the topic of weather, of all things ), she became a hundred percent sure,...

... a certain _man_,...

... had the audacity to break your heart,...

... to the point of angst, anxiety, and depression.

Of course, upon realizing this, Patty did the best that she could to cheer you up. As much as you hated it, she forced you to have movie marathons with her just to keep you from crying each night ( she chose horror and gore, of all things ), made you do some crazy and unnecessary stuff with her to keep you preoccupied ( like eating a whole tub of ice cream by yourselves, making all kinds of DIY crafts from the internet, and doing make up tutorials, to which you were both horrible at ), and even made you compile hundreds upon hundreds of Dante's stolen shots that she took into one scrapbook just for the sake of fun ( and some did make you laugh, to be honest, like that one where he was giving himself a pep talk in front of the mirror, or that one where he was wearing mismatched socks ). She did everything she could think of just to help you divert your mind off the thoughts of whatever happened to you with that certain _man_.

And obviously? You only got worse.

And Patty could not take any of this, any more.

"Okay, that's it." The blonde said as she stood up and made her way towards you. She sat on the chair next to you and practically snatched the spoon from your hand just to get your attention. And she was successful.

"Patty - "

"(Y/N), listen to me," Patty began, cutting you off the moment you tried to complain as she grabbed your shoulders. " ... I know it's hard. I know how hard it feels when someone you love left you - "

"Wait, I - !"

"NO! Stop talking for a while and listen to me!" Patty almost screamed. "I mean, you've cried enough for him! You've neglected yourself far enough! Look at you! You barely eat, barely sleep,...

"(Y/N), you've gone too far, and I hate seeing you like this! I want you to move on! Forget him! Live for your own sake! Please!"

You understood your friend perfectly. You knew that Patty only wanted the best for you, and you could understand perfectly well that, due to your carelessness within the last few months, you have unnecessarily made the girl worried. 

And you felt really guilty about it.

With a sheepish smile, you gently took her hands off your shoulders and clasped them together, keeping them joined with your own. You bowed your head down low and placed your forehead on top of your clasped hands as you let your emotions take over you.

"(Y/N) - "

"How I wish I could tell you everything. But, I know it won't be that easy." You told her as you looked up once more. "So, I'll just show you." You simply said as you stood up, letting Patty's hands go as you gestured towards the empty drawing room you spent the most time in during your stay in the Lowell Villa. It was a beautiful room, actually, with smooth wooden floors, cream - colored ceiling, pastel wallpaper - covered walls, and a pair of huge glass doors that allowed one to view the breathtaking island, its white sand, exotic trees and flowers, and the ocean, itself.

If things were normal, you might have enjoyed sunbathing there. You might even consider making a sandcastle of your own, one with pointed roofs and numerous windows, complete with a guardian dragon. You could also easily see yourself taking a dive in that astounding blue sea, then staring at the coast from afar. Or simply enough, you could picture yourself collecting all kinds of seashells buried there on the fine, white sand, just waiting to be found.

However, things were different for you. And difficult.

You knew you could no longer enjoy the simple things of being a normal human, and you knew it's too late for you to even enjoy it now. Your time was running out, and you finally decided to let your friend take a look of what you have become before it's too late. You owed her, and you don't want her to keep guessing. You must tell her the truth, no matter how difficult it was.

And when you grabbed the edge of your long - sleeved shirt, pulling it over your head and taking it off, removed the shirt underneath, and took off your sweatpants, leaving only your underwear, Patty could not help but gasp at the terrible state of your body. Almost skeletal and extremely pale, skin dry and slightly cracking, not to mention those unspeakable bruises on your limbs and stomach that looked as if you were skewered by something really sharp and huge, Patty immediately sensed the horror of what you've been through during your time in Red Grave.

The young, blonde woman shook her head and closed her mouth as tears streamed down her pretty face, unable to believe her own eyes at the pitiful and horrifying sight before her.

However, the pain of finally seeing you has only just begun.

"There was a time," you began as you positioned yourself in the middle of the room. " ... when I lived as carefree as anyone could." You said, then raised your arms and brought them down to your face. Patty realized that you have began dancing. _But,..._ "I was very powerful. I thought nothing could defeat me." _Something was wrong,..._ "But, I'm wrong. For these powers,"

Something,... was definitely wrong.

As Patty watched you moved, she noticed how,... _raw_,... your movements were. Almost as if,...

" ... they are not mine. They are for someone else."

And she was right. For the moment she saw you struggle with the moves, and jumps, and twirls that should've been a piece of cake to you before all this, she finally realized,...

** _... you have completely lost the ability to dance._ **

"I have searched,... for such a long time for this person." You went on. "I have waited,... _longer_. Far longer. Then, I found him. And I,...made a mistake." You stumbled one more time and tripped, hitting your head on the floor. But, you don't care. Still, you stood and went on. "I,... fell in love with him. Fell in love,... with the man,... who never cared in the first place. And when he took my powers for his own,... along with it, he took my heart,... he took my soul,... 

" ... he took,... my life.

" ... but, I'm here. And still alive. But, I'm dying. Slowly and painfully dying. He took my strength,... and in return,... I took away his pain,... and his death,… and made them my own."

And after one last fall, you remained lying on the floor for a few moments. Too exhausted to go on dancing, you slowly and carefully sat up, allowing yourself to calm down and relax.

"No matter how much I try to deny it, no matter how much I hide the truth, the fact still remains." You said as you looked up at Patty. "One of these days, and it won't be long. You'll call my name, and I'll be gone. And when I do," You stood up and went over to your friend, who was now silently crying. " ... I want you to remember me how I was, and not like this." You, then, wrapped your arms around her and allowed her to let all the tears out on your shoulders. "I don't know how long I have left but, when the time comes, that's it."

"Please tell me you're lying!" Patty sobbed. "Tell me this is all a nightmare! Tell me this is not real!"

Your emotions overwhelmed you the moment you felt your friend's body trembling against yours. You closed your eyes and held her tighter. "Hey, at least there will be one less ugly burden in the world."

"(Y/N), YOU'RE NOT A BURDEN! STOP LYING TO ME! SAY YOU'LL WATCH MORE MOVIES WITH ME! SAY YOU'LL AGREE TO MAKE DANTE COME TO ALL OF MY BIRTHDAY PARTIES! SAY WE'LL GROW OLD TOGETHER AND LAUGH AT HOW SILLY WE LOOK AS OLD AND WRINKLED WOMEN! (Y/N), PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE!"

The tears just flowed and flowed, and you allowed it. You allowed the emotion to overwhelm you for the very last time. You even ignored how your heart twitched in pain at the prospect of dying alone without having to enjoy your own life at its fullest.

Well, you did fulfill your mission.

It just wasn't your idea to be a _disposable vessel_.

And just then, a silly idea came to your mind. You made Patty look at you and pinched her cheeks.

"Ouch! Hey - !"

"Cut my hair, will you? I want to look as fashionable as you." You smiled at her as you pointed at her stylish pixie cut hair ( she ditched the long curls the moment she hit the legal age ).

"(Y/N), I don't think that's - "

"Come on!" You smiled gingerly at her as you emphasized how ugly your hair was. "Do it for me, please?"

A few moments later ( and after putting your clothes on ), you were made to sit on a chair as Patty brushed your hair and started parting it.

"How short do you want it to be?" She asked you.

"Up to you." You answered.

"Okay. I won't cut it too short, though."

"I leave everything to you."

Patty sighed as she started cutting parts of your long hair, letting its (H/C) strands fall on the smooth floor of the drawing room.

"I must say, I really envy you, (Y/N)."

"What?! Why?"

"Because you have long and shiny hair! And you're just letting me chop all this beauty,..."

"My hair? Beautiful? Come on! Look at it now! I would even bet you everything I have to prove to you that it's,... hey, Patty?" You called as the girl stopped cutting your hair for a brief moment. And as you were about to look up, Patty held your temples firmly to keep you from moving. "Hey!"

"Umm, (Y/N)?"

"Yeah?"

"If he is here right now, what would you tell him?" She asked you in a slightly different tone that you didn't really take notice of.

"Why would you ask that now? It's pointless! He is probably somewhere in the other part of the globe, having loads of fun and forgetting everything about me - "

"(Y/N), I'm serious here!" Patty interjected. "You don't want to go without letting it all out, right? I mean, if you wanted to say anything, now is the time. Not later, not tomorrow, now. What would you say to him if he is here right now?"

" ... nothing." You simply whispered. And could anyone really blame you? If he's here right now, would he even lend an ear to you after everything that went on between the two of you?

You heard Patty sigh behind you. "Okay, let's do this one more time. If I'm him, what would you say to me?"

_What's with this girl all of a sudden?_ "Alright! Alright! Since you're insisting, I might as well tell you.

"How are you doing? Are you,... uhh,... eating well? Sleeping well? I hope you're not,... doing anything rash and careless,..."

"Yes, and?" Patty prodded on.

You sighed and went on. "Umm, whatever happened between us in the past, I want you to forget everything. Live freely on your own, do everything you can to make yourself as happy as anyone could be. I want you to forget about me,... and go on. Find,... someone else who is,... worthy of your love and protection."

There was a moment of silence as Patty stopped cutting your hair for a while. Then, she combed through your hair once more as she parted them again in the middle. "Is that what you really wanted to say? Forget about everything? Forget about you? Find another person to love?"

You felt your eyes widen as they started to sting, yet again, with your raw emotions. You closed your eyes and simply let those tears fall.

**_"I'm so tired of pretending that everything's okay."_ **You whispered, your head bowed down low, and your tears falling onto your neatly folded hands on your lap. With a deep breath and a sob, you finally let it all out. **_"I missed you so much, V! So much, it hurts. I still love you,… despite everything. I tried to get you out of my mind, to forget that I've known you. To forget that I have fallen deeply in love with you for the very short time we've been together._** **_And it hurts,... so much,... to know that I will not be able to see you again, that I will not be able to talk to you again. That I will never hear your voice again as you read to me your favorite poems._**

**_"If I could only go back in time, I would prevent all the pain and suffering from happening._** I will tell you to run as far away as you can from that place. I don’t care what happens to Red Grave! **_I will,... save the both of us from that huge blunder. Maybe then, we could start all over again, to get to know each other again. Maybe we could take another shot at it._**

"But, I know that everything is inevitable. I have,... fulfilled my mission for you. I gave you back what you rightfully own. And I know that this is irreversible.

**_"I,... love you,... so much, V._ **But, please, go away from me. I don't want you to see me looking like this, going rapidly old, skin crumbling, **_dying_**. **_I will accept that someday, you would find the perfect person to love and protect until your last breath. I would even accept that someday, you will forget about me and everything that happened between us._**

"So,... _**go**_. Do everything that I told you: travel the whole world, watch all kinds of movies, eat popcorn and lots of junk food, go fishing and catch a boot, win the stuff tiger. **_See the world that your poems describe. Go,... and do all of those with the person you will love and cherish,... until the end._**

** _"And I'm so,... sorry. For everything. For all the hurt. I'm sorry."_ **

You sighed deeply, unable to believe how wonderful it felt to truly let everything out. Your chest heaving up and down in a rhythmic pattern, your whole body finally relaxing, you closed your eyes,...

... and smiled.

** _"Goodbye, V. I will,... never bother you,... anymore."_ **

"There. You look perfect." Patty answered, seemingly in jest, a few seconds later as she brushed the hair off your shoulders. "Could you stand up for me, please?"

You did so, your head feeling a bit lighter. You reached up with your hands and felt for your now shoulder - length hair.

And it felt really nice.

"Could you please, turn around so I could see you?"

You slowly turned, and,...

***

There was a moment of silence as Patty stopped cutting (Y/N)'s hair for a while. Then, she combed through her hair as she parted them in the middle. "Is that what you really wanted to say? Forget about everything? Forget about you? Find another person to love?" She asked.

Her head bowed down low and her shoulders slightly trembling, she answered with an achingly weak and vulnerable voice. 

** _"I'm so tired of pretending that everything's okay. missed you so much, V! So much, it hurts. I still love you,… despite everything. I tried to get you out of my mind, to forget that I've known you. To forget that I have fallen deeply in love with you for the very short time we've been together. And it hurts,... so much,... to know that I will not be able to see you again, that I will not be able to talk to you again. That I will never hear your voice again as you read to me your favorite poems._ **

**_"If I could only go back in time, I would prevent all the pain and suffering from happening._ **I will tell you to run as far away as you can from that place. I don’t care what happens to Red Grave! **_I will,... save the both of us from that huge blunder. Maybe then, we could start all over again, to get to know each other again. Maybe we could take another shot at it._**

"But, I know that everything is inevitable. I have,... fulfilled my mission for you. I gave you back what you rightfully own. And I know that this is irreversible.

**_"I,... love you,... so much, V._** But, please, go away from me. I don't want you to see me looking like this, going rapidly old, skin crumbling, **_dying. I will accept that someday, you would find the perfect person to love and protect until your last breath. I would even accept that someday, you will forget about me and everything that happened between us._**

"So,... **_go_**. Do everything that I told you: travel the whole world, watch all kinds of movies, eat popcorn and lots of junk food, go fishing and catch a boot, win the stuff tiger. **_See the world that your poems describe. Go,... and do all of those with the person you will love and cherish,... until the end._**

** _"And I'm so,... sorry. For everything. For all the hurt. I'm sorry."_ **

** _"Goodbye, V. I will,... never bother you,... anymore."_ **

Patty slowly turned behind her after those words that her friend uttered. Then, she turned back and brushed the hair off (Y/N)'s shoulders. "There. You look perfect." And she's not lying. The girl looked,... perfect. "Could you stand up for me, please?" Patty waited for (Y/N) to stand and watched as she felt for her brand new hair style. "Could you please, turn around so I could see you?"

She slowly turned, and,...

... her eyes widened in shock at the familiar figure standing before her,...

... of a person,… _a man_,... she thought she would never see or hear from,... ever again,...

** _“One of these days, and it won’t be long,_ **   
** _You’ll call my name and I’ll be gone,_ **   
** _Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well._ **

" ... and so,... thee came,..."


	35. And Then, Finally,...

** _“One of these days, and it won’t be long,_ **   
** _You’ll call my name and I’ll be gone,_ **   
** _Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well."_ **

Those were the words that you wrote for him on that tear - stained note, which you left in your bed three months ago. And he has kept that fragile piece of note since then. He remembered each painful word, each awkward curve of the letters, and each trembling line in that poem.

He has kept it close to his heart since then.

And now, he's standing before you, repentant, sorrowful, and full of guilt and regret.

And he would make this right. He would fix everything. Right his wrong.

" ... and so,... thee came,..." He uttered, his eyes fixed on yours and yours alone. And as his eyes wandered on your form, he couldn't help but feel even more guilty and hurt. You looked,... _terrible_. Pale, hollow cheeks void of life, tired, bloodshot eyes that were almost dry due to endless bouts of tears, streaks of silver - gray among thinning strands of (H/C) hair,...

... and the noticeable, little cracks on your skin, especially on your face...

It was clear to V that you were suffering with the same thing he went through before, of him wasting away and disintegrating.

Those faint glimpses Cassandra had of you the moment he stepped foot in the island,...

At first, he was mystified as to the lack of the entity's vision of you, hence, his difficulty in searching for you all those months ago. But, now, as he let his gaze wander on your form, he finally understood.

You were dying.

And it was all his fault. _Everything_.

And as you realized what's probably on his mind upon gazing at you, your breath hitched. You abruptly turned away from him, not wanting him to see what you have become.

Patty sighed, nodded at V whilst giving him a hard look, and stepped away, letting him have his moment with you. How she wanted so much to push this man away, to inflict physical harm upon him, to make him realize what he's done to you.

But, she knew it was too late. And the only thing that was left for him to do was to say goodbye one last time before the inevitable,...

"My Lady,..." V whispered as he reached out a single hand in front of you. You noticed this and drew further back away from him, not wanting him to feel you. And this made his chest twitch in utter pain. "Listen to me, please,..." He tried one last time to reach out to you but, you refused.

You had to.

"Don't touch me!" You hissed at him, wanting him to get as far away from you as possible. He has probably heard everything you've said, of how you missed him, of how you were sorry for everything, for all the hurt and pain,...

... of how much you loved him,...

It was a mistake. You should not have let yourself be swayed by your emotions like that. You only wanted to let everything out, to pour your heart out one last time before going for good, to say those words that your weren't able to say before.

But, now that he's here, clearly wanting to fix everything, you felt that you made the biggest blunder of your life, if that was even possible.

With your words, you poured out your true feelings for him. However, with those same words, you just gave him false hope - false hope, because you knew you would never be together. He would never see you smile again, he would never see you dance again, he would never feel your touch against his, ever again. And the last thing he would see is your horrible earthly form. Dying without grace, wilting away like an old flower,...

... cracking like a disposed, antique porcelain.

And you knew that he would blame himself for the rest of his life because of this.

_No!_ You screamed internally. _I must push him away! I won't let him see me like this! I refuse to hurt him like this! He deserves more, not this! I must save him,... one last time!_

"You heard what I said." You uttered coldly, your back still turned against him, successfully hiding your true intentions from him. "Goodbye, V. I will never see you again. Leave. Now."

With those words, V slightly drew back. Indeed, he finally saw glimpses of you upon arriving on the island. He saw bits of your future with him. He saw you, looking as lovely as ever, sitting on a blanket underneath the shade of a huge tree as you watched and listened to him play the violin. He saw the two of you in your very own house, little, yes, but full of warmth and love.

And lastly, he saw something else. _Something_,... that gave him warm feelings of affection and undying devotion towards you. _Something_,... that his human heart had craved and longed for all those years of dread, misery, and loneliness.

And for it to become a reality, he must see this through. He must fix everything between you. He must save you, and he knew exactly how he would do it.

But, the way you said goodbye, it simply gave his heart a new kind of pain that he never fully expected. He never cared about this, actually. He knew he deserved this kind of reaction from you. He hurt you, after all.

What he did care for and worry about was the sudden and strange tear he saw in your future upon hearing those words from you. It was like,... he suddenly forgot how you looked like on that future. The little house was suddenly and abruptly wiped out, and that _thing_ he craved for,... it was erased completely off his vision.

Then, he realized,...

"My La - "

"Stop calling me that!" You cut him off, mustering as much anger as you can to discourage him. "I' am not yours!" And the moment you denied him, more and more details of your future were wiped out.

He was right. The more you refused him, the more your future vanished.

_I will not let this happen!_ Thought V. _I must make her realize how much I love her! I will not let her future vanish like this! I will save her,... and not let her go like this!_

"Listen to me, please." He pleaded one more time. "You did nothing wrong. I should be the one who must apologize. I have learned from my own,... mistakes. I was foolish, I did unspeakable things that cost lives. I was foolish,... for letting you go that day. And I want to apologize for everything. For hurting you. For,... _this_."

"I learned my lesson, too." You answered as you folded your arms over your chest to not give him a glimpse of your cracking and disintegrating skin. "Now, don't make this any harder for the both of us. I'm letting you go, V. You should be - " you were abruptly cut off as a streak of unbearable pain crossed your heart, making you draw back and clutch your heart in alarm. _What,... just happened?_ " ... glad."

"Glad?" V, who clearly saw how your body convulsed just now, retorted. "I searched all over for you, crossed seas to look for you. The only thing I'm glad for,... is seeing you again. Of being able to hold you in my arms,... once more. To hear your voice again. I,... it ached,... so much. It hurts,... not seeing you. I feel so alone,... and hopeless. I want you back, and I'm not,... **_leaving_**. I refuse to leave you!"

He saw how your shoulders tremble and rise as you inhaled sharply. He knew his words affected you as much as it affected him. Everything he said was true. His heart ached more and more with your absence that he thought he's dying. He felt so alone more than ever before. He felt,... empty,... without you. How he wanted to hold you in his arms, to lavish you with the affection you deserved, to ease your pain and start all over again,...

And you felt the same. Oh, how you wanted to drop this cold facade you put up, to turn around and throw yourself at him, to show him how much you missed him.

To tell him how much you loved him,...

But, you can't. You **_physically_** can't! And you knew it would only hurt him more if he saw you pass before his very own eyes. You can't just allow it! He has to leave,... now!

**_I love you so much, V!_ **"Don't you understand anything?! I don't,... want you!" **_I want to hold you close to my heart!_** "Didn't you get what you want from me?!" **_I want to show you how much you mean to me!_** "You've got everything! Power! Immortality! You were saved from your own death!" **_I beg you! Don't leave me, please!_** "You're only wasting your time here!" **_Promise me! Don't leave me! Don't leave my side! Please!_** "Leave me alone! Please!"

Your hands automatically went to your eyes to wipe away the tears that fell, and still, you went on with your act.

And V knew this. He knew you were only putting on an act to make him leave you. He even rightfully sensed that you don't want him to see you like that. He knew!

But, those words you just said,...

... it erased every bit of vision he has of you, leaving only one,...

... of you standing before him, dull and emotionless,...

... the only light that shone in the midst of darkness,...

... and yet, you were smiling,...

... you were bravely smiling through your own pain and suffering.

You were ready, after all. You have made up your mind. You accepted your fate. You just don't want him to see you go. He knew you were doing him one last act of kindness with this. After everything he did. After everything you went through.

... and it hurts so damn much,...

The pain,... was simply unbearable.

With one last effort, he tried to get close to you, to reach out his hand towards you, to touch you. Only for you to bow your head lower and draw further away from him.

Despite this, despite your vanishing form in Cassandra's vision, V still tried to pierce through your carefully raised barrier. "My Lady, my **_love_**, please,... give me another chance. I will prove to you,... that I' am no longer the person you thought I was. That I' am no longer the villain in your story. I will,... love and protect you,... for as long as I live. No. I will love and protect you beyond life and death. I promise."

After a few agonizing moments, you only shook your head as you held unto the chair for support. "You wouldn't want,... anything to do with a useless person like me. You don't deserve someone like me, a trash, and a disposable thing. You deserved,... someone better."

"You're not useless! And you're not trash. I refused to see myself with another! My Lady, please - !"

"Go, now." Once again, you cut him off, but this time, in a much lower voice that sounded hoarse and extremely tired. "Before you regret. Go. _Live_. For your own sake."

V sighed, feeling his shoulders slump and his spirits drop. He lost. No matter how much he tried, he knew you would only push him away. Your resolve,... was just that strong.

With that unbearable pain in his chest, he looked down at the luggage he left on the floor the moment he entered the room, grabbed it, and went over to the nearest table, opening it and taking the gifts out, carefully placing them on top - Dante's Guarneri, Alicia's embroidery, Sister Christina's hand - made hoodie, even Cagliostro's small framed camellia painting, and Petya and Natasha's bottle of French vodka. Lastly, he reached for his almost empty luggage and took out his own gift to you - the porcelain doll that was Galatea, and the pair of shoes you wore the first time he met you. They’re not even enough as gifts but, he did plan on putting them on your feet, himself. He planned on handing you the antique doll, and he planned on proposing to you right then and there. Then, he would wrap his arms around you, engulfing you into his embrace, and kiss you,...

But, now, he could no longer do any of those things. How could he save you now? How could he prevent your future from vanishing? How could he - ?

** _At the final hours of the evening and the last radiance of the wounded moon, the past will weep, the present will kneel, and the future will die._ **

"(Y/N)!" V heard Patty shriek, and as he turned nervously around, he saw you sprawled on the floor, barely unconscious.

Leaving everything behind, the gifts, his plans, his thoughts of your future with him, he ran towards the girl who has become his everything in a short span of time. He kneeled before her and took her in his arms, and when he turned her over, he saw,...

V closed his eyes, unable to look at the girl, unable to face the consequences of what he has done. His tears falling silently, his heart dying along with hers, he gave her one last look as he cradled her broken face in his hand.

Then, she slowly and weakly opened her now milky - white eyes.

"W - w,..."

"My love, what is it?" V whispered gently, his voice trembling. He could no longer contain the overwhelming sorrow. He simply let it engulf him whole as punishment for this. And after all that, he knew that the agonizing pain he's feeling was never enough for his own crimes.

"Where a - am I?" The girl asked, her voice hoarse and broken. "I can't see,... anyt - thing,..."

"Oh, God!" Patty cried as she covered her mouth in shock.

"I'm here. You're here with me, darling." V whispered as he took her cold and cracking hand in his. Holding it close to his lips, he gave it a kiss and hoped it provided her warmth for even just a short while.

Despite her blindness, she struggled to turn her face towards him. She took a labored breath and spoke, "Who,... are y - you?"

V gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes once more. He wanted so much to knock anything out in his frustration but, he can't. And how could he not feel angry and frustrated with himself? Not only was the girl he loved blind, now, she couldn't even remember a thing about him.

It was like she aged rapidly within mere seconds.

"W - who are y - you? Where am I?" She asked once more as her eyes rolled and darted in many directions as if in search of some kind of light to see her surroundings, making Patty cry even harder next to her.

"It's alright, my love. Just relax." V pleaded as he rubbed her back and held her hand tighter. "Everything,... would be alright now,..."

"Your v - voice,..." the girl uttered, her voice slowly getting weaker, her face gaining more and more cracks and wrinkles, and her hair rapidly turning white. "H - haven't we m - met? I k - know you,... I,... k - know you,..."

"Do you,... still remember?" V uttered, desperately wanting her to remember everything. **_For one last time._ **"The day we first met? Y - you were the most beautiful, and most angelic thing I have ever laid eyes on."

The girl didn't say anything but, he knew she was listening.

"Do you still remember,... the very first time we danced? And the second time? Do you remember when I read poetry to you? How we slept next to each other, feeling safe and warm. Do you,... still remember what you said? That you would never leave me?" V took a sharp breath as he noticed his tears falling onto her face. As much as his heart wanted to cease, he went on. "I told you,... to do our best to not lose the people we love. And how,... and how we talked about doing silly things! Like,... fishing, and watching movies,... and,..." he stopped, feeling his own heart slowly collapse as his sight get blurry with the overwhelming tears. " ... and seeing the world that my favorite poems described. Remember,... how I asked you to do those things,... **_together_**?"

The girl opened her mouth as she probably tried to say something. But, only one thing managed to come out of her dry and bleeding mouth. "N - no,..." she uttered. "I c - can't rememb - ber,..."

V prevented his sobs from coming out as he thought of another way to make her remember. If this is the last act of kindness he will do towards her, then so, be it. He looked all over the room, trying to figure out what to say next, when he saw Patty and remembered something,...

**_I forgot! Today’s supposed to be the day that they’re gonna have a rerun of _LaLaLand_!_**

** _I've waited a hundred years but, I'd wait a million more for you,..._ **

**_"A little chance encounter could be the one you’ve waited for.”_** V quoted as he held her gently, remembering the lines from the movie he watched during the girl's absence. **_"Someone in the crowd could be the one you need to know. Somewhere, there’s a place where I find who I’m gonna be. Somewhere, that's just waiting to be found. We stumbled on a view that’s tailor - made for two.”_** He gulped down, still trying to suppress the tears and sobs, then went on. **_"Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here’s to the hearts that ache, here’s to the mess we make.”_**

**_Do you know _Titanic_, V?_**

** _Nothing prepared me for what the privilege of being yours would do,..._ **

** _“I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen or, who I’m gonna meet, where I’m gonna wind up. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens. No matter how hopeless."_ **

**_How about _Moulin Rouge_?_**

** _If I had only felt the warmth within your touch. If I had only seen how you smile when you blush, or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough, well I would have known what I was living for all along._ **

** _What I've been living for._ **

** _"It's a little bit funny this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide. I don't have much money but, oh, if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live. If I was a sculptor but, then again no. Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show. Oh, I know it's not much but it's the best I can do,..."_ **

**The Fault In Our Stars_?_**

** _Your love is my turning page, where only the sweetest words remain,..._ **

** _"You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I' am eternally grateful."_ **

**The Time Traveler’s Wife_?_**

** _Every kiss is a cursive line, every touch is a redefining phrase,..._ **

** _"I never wanted anything in my life that I couldn't stand losing. But it's too late for that."_ **

** _I surrender who I've been for who you are. For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart. If I had only felt how it feels to be yours, well I would have known what I've been living for all along,..._ **

** _What I've been living for._ **

Everything went silent for a while. V stopped quoting, even Patty stopped crying. 

It wouldn't be long now.

_This is,... my last chance,..._

**_"Do you believe in destiny?"_** V quoted once more. **_"That even the,... powers,... of time,... could be altered for a single purpose? The luckiest man,"_** As the girl's eyes slowly closed and the heaving of her chest gradually lessened, V laid his forehead against hers, wanting to feel her for the very last time. He covered her in his arms and rubbed her back. **_" ... who walks in this earth is the one who finds,... true love,..."_** He closed his eyes, letting the words engulf the both of them. **_“I have crossed,… oceans of time,… to find you.”_**

**_"There is always a p - princess,..."_** V heard the girl as she struggled to keep up. He looked at her once more and saw her wet eyes.

And her smile,…

_She remembered! That one movie she never mentioned to him. That one dvd from her collection that was worn out due to so much use._

_Her most favorite movie of all,..._

** _" ... with gowns,... flowing white. And her face,... oh, God, her face,... is a river. The p - princess, she's a river,... filled with tears of sadness and h - heartbreak."_ **

**_"You will be cursed as I am, and walk in the shadow of death for,... all eternity. I love you too much,"_** the poet stopped as his tears stained her pained face once more.**_ " ...to condemn you!"_**

** _"Then, take me away,... from all this,... death,..."_ **

** _Though we're tethered to the story we must tell. When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well. With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas. Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees,..._ **

She quoted her favorite line for the very last time, making her true intentions known to him. She never wanted to push him away. She lied when she told him that she didn't want him.

_She loved him,... and she wanted him to save her, after all._

_She loved him,... until her death,..._

** _Can you quote something from Shakespeare? After all, Griffon always calls you Shakespeare,…_ **

V closed his eyes, feeling the life and vitality leave her body. He remembered her request that night, of him to quote something from Shakespeare.

... and he couldn't believe that after all this time,...

... after Galatea's efforts to bring him back to save her,...

... he couldn't believe that he's doing it again.

He can't believe,...

... that he's watching her die a second time.

**_“Oh, here will I set up,… my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of,… inauspicious stars from this,… world - wearied,… flesh,..."_** He uttered, feeling her body grow heavy and her arms drop. **_“… eyes look,… your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips,… oh you the doors of,… breath,… seal with a righteous kiss,… a dateless,… bargain,… to engrossing death,…”_**

And before her last ounce of her breath, he inched closer to her and gave her that one last kiss. As his lips gently moved against hers, he felt his tears fall against her cracked and bloody face. As his hands moved against her back, he felt her getting colder and colder. As he gave her one last kiss on the forehead, he felt her suffering end with one last rise of her chest.

And when he looked at her once more, he saw her calm and peaceful face, one that went through so much agony and hurt.

She was gone,... leaving him all alone in the vast, cold, and uncaring world.

Leaving him,... with all the memories she had with him.

The only memories,...

... where he was happy, loved,... and protected.

***

It took V and Patty a few more minutes of silence as they let the storm pass. She's gone, and they have to let her friends know.

They have to let them know, no matter how hard it would be.

Thinking how Dante would surely skewer him with his Devil Sword after breaking the news to him, he wiped the tears from her face. Even in death, she remained graceful and perfect, despite her argument earlier.

_God, how would I live my life now?_ V thought as he carefully lifted her body off the ground as an unfamiliar numbness took over his entire body. How could - ?

All of a sudden, he felt her twitch.

His eyes widened and his breath hitched. Was it his imagination?

"V, we have to get her out of here now." Patty told him. "V?"

The poet was about to answer when he felt her twitch once more! It felt odd, creepy, and disturbing, but - !

"V, what are you doing?!" Patty demanded as V hastily made his way towards the nearest sofa to lay her down.

And he was right! She was moving! She - 

"What the hell?!" Patty cursed as the two of them watched her restlessly move from side to side. They were both frightened and amazed by what's going on, and as the changes on her body occurred, they couldn't help but be utterly shocked and happy!

White hair turning back to (H/C), cracks on the skin rapidly healing, wrinkles slowly vanishing, and flesh starting to fill up those now pink cheeks,...

"(Y/N)?" V and Patty called simultaneously as her now pink and healthy lips slightly opened. 

V took her hands in his, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he felt her warm blood flowing once more through her veins.

But, what's more, those visions of her future,...

... they were back! And with more! Of them dancing together, of them laughing hard together until their stomach hurt, of them walking hand in hand, of them watching the sunset together, of them having movie marathons,...

Visions upon visions of happy memories flooded his mind, and as he waited for those beautiful eyes to open and gaze at him once more, he couldn't help but smile like an idiot! And no one could blame him for that!

And he could only utter two words. **_"My love,..."_**

Patty and V smiled as they saw her smile, clearly hearing everything he just said.

**_"... and my life."_** She sweetly replied, her voice sounding like chimes in his ears. _Oh, God! How he loved that sweet voice of hers! **"Always."**_

She opened her (E/C) eyes and gazed up at him.

"My love. My dearest. My darling,..." V stuttered in his happiness upon seeing her alive and well, he felt that his heart was bursting with utter gladness! He kissed her hands over and over again, then, gave her a passionate kiss.

And, oh, those lips! They felt so soft, and inviting, and warm!

And he was losing himself!

"Ahem!" Patty cleared her throat, making the two of them look at her. "Get a room, whatever?"

V chuckled as he let her go for a while. With a sheepish smile, he, then helped her sit and wrapped his arms around her once more. He was really glad with how things turned out. He couldn't explain it, himself, but, who cares about it now?! What's important was that -

All of a sudden, they heard some strange noises just outside the door.

V let you go and nodded at Patty as he stood up, his eyes darting cautiously on the door. He slowly walked towards it, grabbed the brass door knob, and flung open the door - !


	36. ♡♡♡

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a special chapter made by yours, truly, and @shiningsparkle ( la-vita.tumblr.com ). Do check out her works, they're amazing.😍😍😍❤❤❤
> 
> We hope you enjoy our little surprise.😍😍😍❤❤❤
> 
> *The 2 parts ( 1st - mine, 2nd - @shingingsparkle's ) are separated by ~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡
> 
> Thank you so much!😍😍😍❤❤❤

"Ahem!" Patty cleared her throat, making the two of you look at her. "Get a room, whatever?"

V chuckled as he let you go for a while. With a sheepish smile, he, then helped you sit and wrapped his arms around you once more. He was really glad with how things turned out. He couldn't explain it, himself, but, who cares about it now?! What's important was that -

All of a sudden, you heard some strange noises just outside the door.

V let you go and nodded at Patty as he stood up, his eyes darting cautiously on the door. He slowly walked towards it, grabbed the brass door knob, and flung open the door - !

"WHAT THE F - ?!"

You heard a voice as V drew back, wide - eyed, from the door.

And lo and behold, Nico, and a strange - looking boy with sharp features came scrambling on the floor at the poet's feet!

"Who are you, people?!" Patty demanded, unable to believe that some strangers managed to infiltrate the villa, yet again. Well, V was one thing but, _these people_?

"I can explain,... everything!" Nico retorted as she stood up, rubbing her hip. "Oh, and I was definitely not listening,..." She, then, looked at the mystery boy, who was still on the floor, and practically smacked him on the head with much force. "Hey! About time you get up!"

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!" The boy screamed as he scrambled to his feet and hid behind V, completely frightened of the crazy Artisan. "I can't believe this woman, V! She dragged me and the housecat out of the house all of a sudden! She even blackmailed that pimple kid Nero and the others to come with her here!"

"Nero,... and _the others_?" The poet asked, and even before he, or the strange boy, could say or do anything else, all of you heard an impatient tapping on the glass door. All of you turned and saw none other than Nero, himself, wearing nothing but his navy - blue swimming trunks. He was carrying a surf board, and gesturing something really weird at you. Other than that, he looked really annoyed, or _pissed_, that you almost felt relieved that you couldn't hear him or understand what he's saying through that thick glass door.

"Where is the bathroom here, anyway? This place is humongous!" You heard a distinct and familiar voice from the doorway, and, surely enough, when you turned back, you saw the Legendary Devil Hunter wandering about the hallway like he was lost. And what's more, he was carrying a huge hiking bag on his back and at least two bulky luggage on each hand, like he was going on a vacation or something.

"DANTE?!" Patty practically screamed at the top of her lungs as she angrily strode towards him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE AFTER GHOSTING ON ME FOR THREE MONTHS?! I INVITED YOU FOR MY BIRTHDAY PARTY BUT, YOU DIDN'T COME! AND NOW, YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO SHOW UP HERE?! WHAT THE HELL, DANTE?!"

"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Wait a second here, señorita!" Dante drew back in terror upon witnessing the girl's pure and utter rage. "I can explain! A lot of things happened, and - "

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE IN MY HOUSE! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK UNTIL I SAY SO! AARRGGHH!"

You were trying to suppress your laughter at Patty's outrage ( no one could blame her, after all, he did ditch her on her birthday party ) when something suddenly threw itself at you and hugged you tightly. You looked down and to your surprise, you saw a pale, little girl with long, black hair that seemed sentient. She was even giving you a weird look with her pair of huge, red eyes, like a lost child who just found her mother.

"Oh, ah,... hello!" You awkwardly greeted but, she didn't say anything. She just went on staring at you with those huge eyes of hers, and that weird, and yet funny, expression that made her look like she has committed some kind of unspeakable crime.

You looked up at V and noticed his features clearly contorting with stress due to the sudden visitors around him. And who could blame him? You totally had no idea how much he wanted to be by your side. He wanted to be alone with you for a change! And if he's being honest with himself, he wanted to do _more_ than just talk with you!

But, now, it seemed that his plans, and his patience, were really getting pushed to their utmost limit,...

You gulped nervously as you saw the poet knitting his eyebrows in suppressed anger, bowing down low and reaching for his nose bridge to pinch it.

***

" ... it was like I was dreaming. Like, I was drowning, and suddenly, someone took my hand and pulled me out of the water!"

" ... uhu,..."

"And when I was back on the surface, I heard his voice. He said, **_my love_**."

" ... yeah, and,... ?"

"You see, I thought Dracula was playing on the background, so I answered, **_and my life, always_**! And when I opened my eyes, I saw him! And he's looking down at me!"

" ... okay."

"And when we kissed and embraced, I felt this kind of energy surging throughout my body! It's like,... AARRGGHH! It's really hard to explain! Like, I was this,... are you even listening to me?!"

"GOD, SWEET PEA! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M TRYIN' TO COOK THIS THING?!" Griffon howled as he pointed at the raw chicken on the grill before him. "I'VE BEEN STARIN' AT THIS CHICKEN FOR THIRTY FUCKIN' MINUTES, AND NOTHIN'S HAPPENIN', AT ALL!"

"Stupid!" Nico, who was already wearing a yellow two - piece bikini, mocked as she placed her hands on her hips. "Ye're supposed to set the charcoal on fire! And fan the flames! God!"

And with a shrug of her shoulders and a shake of her head, the Artisan walked away from them and joined the others for a game of beach volleyball.

You stared at the familiar, whose bald head began sweating hard, if it's even possible.

"Err, is that right? Y - ya set the charcoal on fire?" He stuttered as he stared at the weird cooking device.

"Well, yeah." You answered as the side of your lips went up in a visible smirk. "You know, you might be bipedal right now, but - "

"DON'T ya dare say I'm still a fuckin' BIRD BRAIN!" The familiar yelled at your face as he accidentally burned and almost reduced the raw chicken to ashes with the power of electricity that came out of his fingers. Startled and shocked upon realizing and seeing what he's done to the whole crew's lunch, he quickly took the grill grates, threw the burnt chicken, and buried it beneath the sand underneath his feet. He slowly and nervously looked at you with huge eyes and raised eyebrows. Then, he gulped. "Umm,... you didn't see anythin', 'kay?"

You covered your mouth to suppress the laughter.

Ever since waking up in V's arms three days ago, you've been thrown to such unexpected experiences that you honestly never imagined yourself being a part of. For one, you were so surprised upon seeing Griffon's new and _cleansed_ form ( according to him ) after his supposed _demise_ at Shadow's hands. You even had to admit to yourself that you're still having a hard time adjusting to him looking as normal as any human can be. You also found out that, during those three days of adjustment, his wings occasionally sprout from his back from time to time, and his striking golden eyes looked clearly sharper than ever before when he was still a demonic bird, not to mention those pointed ears that caught your attention the moment he finally re - introduced himself to you. But, what caught your attention the most was the fact that you were, somehow, no longer contracted to him in any way, shape, or form. It must be because you no longer hold the authority to command the Sisters of Fate, thus, making you a simple and ordinary human being without the power to command a demonic familiar.

You could say the same thing for Shadow. Well, who could blame you, anyway? Not now when she looked like someone's adorable little sister. That very obvious fact aside, those familiar streaks of red light still manifested on her skin when she's startled. That long, dark hair of hers took on a life of its own when someone angered her. She even hissed at anyone who made the huge mistake of taking away her toys ( the Elmo plushie in particular ). Other than that, she still hasn't _outgrown_ her habit of purring and rubbing against you occasionally. You found this very endearing, actually, despite the fact that this female familiar gave you a lot of problems three months ago. She was, in fact, very guilty and apologetic and sweet that you forgave her quite easily. Well, she did nothing wrong in the first place. She only did those horrible things because she was only commanded to do so. She has nothing to apologize for in the first place. And now, Shadow refused to leave your side, she even has this habit of climbing on the bed with you in the middle of the night for some snuggles.

Those two familiars aside, you were very surprised upon hearing the good news from Nero, himself. Who would've guessed that he and his lady love, Kyrie, were eagerly awaiting their own bundle of joy? Nico was the same as ever. If anything, she bullied Griffon even more now that the familiar has turned into a human. She dotes on Shadow a lot, she even provided the familiar a closet - full of clothes for her to wear. She was also spoiling her rotten with treats. And Dante? Seriously, the poor guy, you decided, was a real masochist, letting himself be completely bossed around by both Lady and Trish, who made him carry their things around the beach. You were not sure whether this was the result of him being deeply indebted to these two ladies but, the sight of him going after them like a scruffy - looking butler in red leather really put a smile on your face.

All of these changes and familiar faces you embraced so well. However, there was one particular face that changed a lot within those three months of your absence.

Jet black hair now as white as snow, dark, swirling demonic contract tattoos now barely visible on pale skin, and soft, emerald eyes gentler than ever before, you never expected V to look so,... **_changed_**,... after those past three months that you didn't see him. It was like,... he went through a lot, suffering, trials, growth,...

But, whatever happened to him during those days, it surely changed him a lot as a person. He has,... somehow become even more thoughtful, and careful,... he has become even more caring and protective towards you if that's even possible. The way he moved changed a lot, as well. Before, nothing could make him move even a single finger unless he has deduced it was safe to do so. Now, he seemed more,... **_careless_**,... towards you and only you. **_Open_**, even. Like, he was totally letting his guard down for you to let you in on his thoughts, and his heart.

And not only that. He seemed,... **_closer_**,... towards you. Like, not even a few feet away. He was really **_close_**. You sit, he will sit. You stand, he will stand. You walk, he will most definitely walk, too. There were even times when you accidentally bumped into him when you turned too quickly. When you wake up in the morning, you would find yourself completely surprised to see not only Shadow sleeping next to you but, the poet, as well. Heck, you even have a hard time shooing the guy off whenever you need to go to the bathroom! He always seemed to follow you wherever you go. And him being so **_attached_** to you like that? Of course, you honestly felt both shy, confused, and really bashful at the same time!

And that,... was only **_two days ago_**.

Because now, V seemed,... **_different_**. Well, not the scary or the off type of different, no. It seemed like there was a sense of,... **_urgency_**,... with the way he moved. The way he looked at you, the way he reached for your hand, the way he touched you, the way he whispered to your ear, not to mention that spine - tingling effect his low and deep voice has on you,...

You knew he was up to **_something_**! You **_knew_**,... you **_felt_** it. And honestly? You felt a mixture of both fright and excitement with the way he's acting towards you lately. You were fully aware of where you stand with regards to things such as intimacy in a relationship. And you being, well,... **_you_**? You couldn't help but be both scared and giddy. A lot of things were going through your mind: _how would it feel like? Would it hurt? Would there be a lot of blood, like what they said? Would you get sick the next day? But most important of all, would he really be **gentle** towards you?_

These thoughts were still on your mind when you walked out of the villa to join the others on the beach, and when he saw you, he almost immediately dropped whatever he's doing to rush over to your side, only to be stopped by both Dante and Nero.

"Hey, man, we need another one for the team." Dante told him, grabbing the poor poet by the shoulder.

"Come on, V. They're gonna destroy us!" Nero pleaded as he pointed at the three women, Nico, Lady, and Trish, all in their swim suits, waiting for the men to join them for another round of beach volleyball.

You smiled and nodded at V, who glanced helplessly at you as the men dragged him. You were about to watch the spectacle when someone tapped you on the shoulder. You turned around and noticed it was Patty, together with Kyrie, who chose to stay out of the beach due to her delicate state. And both women were smiling mischievously at you.

V and the others were still playing ( albeit it with much difficulty on the poet's part ) a few moments later when you, Patty, and Kyrie came out of the house. And when V saw you, he -

"V, WATCH OUT!" The warning from Nero and Dante came too late as the ball that was hit by Lady came speeding towards him and hit him in the face.

"Youch! That must really hurt!" Griffon, who was still roasting another batch of almost burnt chicken for lunch, flinched as he watched you run towards V, now with a bleeding nose.

Everything went peaceful for a while after that: Shadow, who was really not fond of swimming or getting wet entirely, minding her own business as she built her own sand castle, Kyrie and Nero playing with the orphans on the shore, Nico appraising Griffon's grilled chicken with a keen eye, Griffon hiding several burnt chicken on the sand beneath his feet with a nervous smile, Trish, Lady, and now Patty, bullying Dante to buy ice cream for them,...

... and you taking care of V as you two sat on a towel he borrowed from Patty a while ago.

"You should have been more careful." You told him as you gently wiped the blood off his face.

"I'm fine." He answered quietly as he let himself be pampered by you. "Don't think too much about it."

"Are you sure nothing's broken?"

"I' am perfectly sure."

V glanced at you with such gentle and thoughtful eyes.

For three days since being back together again, V has tried multiple ways of getting close to you, with each attempt ending in miserable failure due to the interference of the people around him. And it has led to him feeling both annoyed and frustrated. While you were absolutely correct that he, indeed, wanted to be **_intimate_** with you, he also had another, more **_vital_**, reason behind his actions for the last few days. He has found out the reason you were brought back ( or, one might even argue that you really didn't die back then ), and that was partly due to you finally accepting that you **_need_** him, and mostly because V practically, and unknowingly, **_shared_** his **_energy_**, or **_life force_**, with you. He couldn't really explain how this happened ( or maybe Cassandra or Andromeda knew, he just didn't bother to ask any of them ), but when he touched, embraced, and kissed you ( albeit briefly due to those interfering people ), he knew that some form of power left his body, surging through every fiber, every nerve, and every vein in his body, and made its way towards you, giving you strength, health, vitality,...

... giving you **_life_**.

He was fully aware of what he has done to you in the past - of robbing you of your only life source - that has led to him regaining what he almost lost - life. And him giving back to you that power of life and vitality in some other form or way by being as close to you as he can,...

... it was the **_ultimate equivalent exchange_**.

He wanted to share every last bit, every last drop, and every last ounce of this unknown and unexplored power with you by being close, by always being there for you, and by always being with you in every sense of the word.

And he's more than willing to do this for the rest of his life.

And now, as his gaze landed once more on the scars on your stomach and on your thighs, he couldn't help but feel guilty and hurt all over again. You noticed how this made him uneasy and immediately zipped the pink hoodie ( that was given to you by Sister Christina for your birthday ) close so that he would not be able to see the scars, even by accident.

"Patty and Kyrie thought I would look, ah, you know, _**hot**_, by wearing this two - piece bikini they lent me but," You lamely made an excuse as you laughed nervously, hoping to get the poet's attention away from your ugly scars. " ... I look dreadful in it, after all. I mean! My feet aren't the only things that are ugly in me. Now, I look like an overused pin cushion, or some - "

"Don't!" V cut you off as both of his hands flew to your face to gently cup your cheeks. And right then and there, he immediately felt that same power leaving his fingers and making its way towards your skin, giving you a noticeable glow that made his heart do multiple flips. "Say such things, my love. You are beautiful, and perfect."

You smiled nervously as you felt your skin getting warmer and warmer by the second under his loving gaze. It really did feel both scary and exciting being with him in this kind of situation.

And then, you felt it: your breathing getting heavier and heavier with his caress, your heartbeat frantically rising with the way he looked at you, and your thighs instinctively rubbing against each other as you felt the warmth of his skin.

For a few seconds, you remained like this, looking into each other's eyes as if nothing else in the world mattered. And when his face inched closer to yours, feeling his hot breath fan your already radiant and sensitive skin, you -

"Hey, want some?"

You were sure you heard V let out a curse in utter frustration as he slowly looked at Dante, who was offering the two of you some strawberry - flavored popsicles. Your eyes widened in fear as you noticed the poet clearly giving Dante a glare that sent shivers down your spine.

"Oh! Thanks, Dante, but - " you stuttered as you tried to break through the tense atmosphere but, you were interrupted as Patty, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, practically jumped at the tall Devil Hunter, hugging him from behind and startling him, effectively breaking the already heavy situation between the two men.

"Dante!" Patty literally screamed at him, looking very excited.

"Damn, woman!" Dante turned, still unable to believe that the once little girl, who used to pester him only a few years ago, has now fully grown into a very matured and attractive lady. "What is it now? I have bought you your ice cream already, didn't I?"

"Hey! We're still celebrating my birthday!"

"Am I still not forgiven?"

"Of course, not! Unless,..."

"Unless what?"

Patty let go of Dante as she gave him a truly mischievous smirk, one that made you smile inwardly. _She truly is making her move,..._

"Unless you go on an overnight cruise with me."

"Are you joking?! Only the two of us?!" Dante panicked, clearly picking up on what he thought Patty was planning. And he was definitely not ready and not up for **_that_**. "Are you out of - ?!"

"Are you silly?! Of course, the others are invited!" Patty laughed as she turned and waved at Nero, Kyrie, and the orphans, who were excitedly boarding the yacht she rented for the special overnight cruise.

"Come on, Dante! We'll have so much fun!" Patty lured the Devil Hunter once more.

"Y - you don't understand! You and I - "

"Are what?" Trish, who also seemingly came out of nowhere, cut him off as she grabbed his arm and began leading him towards the yacht. "Are you thinking something **_dirty_** in there, Dante?"

"How inappropriate!" Lady butted in as she also took the man's arm. "How **_naughty_** could you really get, hmm?"

You stifled your laughter as you watched the three women drag the unwilling Dante towards the yacht like a human sacrifice of some sort. Then, you noticed Lady as she turned towards you for the last time before leaving, mouthing something like, _good luck, cherry pie_ with a wink and a wide smile. Patty also turned, but she didn't look at you. She deliberately looked at V and gave him a wink and a thumbs up for a reason you still don’t know.

"How annoyingly human is that?" Griffon, who somehow made his way towards you without being seen or heard, spoke upon watching the said **_humans_** get on the yacht. "Hey, V, why don't we - ?”

"Didn't ya hear what the girls said?!" Nico, who was pulling along Shadow, who clearly looked annoyed for being disturbed, interrupted. She, then, took Griffon's arm and started dragging him towards the yacht. "Move yer ass!"

V couldn't help but smirk as he watched Griffon being helplessly dragged by the woman, leaving only the two of you alone on the beach.

** _Leaving you two alone until the next morning,..._ **

Did Patty read his mind? After all, it was she who made a move to basically get rid of the others for him,...

** _If so, then,..._ **

"They're just leaving us here?" V heard you next to him.

"Seems like it." He answered, listening to Griffon and Dante's screams in the distance until he could no longer hear them.

"Where are they going?"

"I,... don’t know."

"Oh."

"Hmm."

You two looked at each other, both realizing what the others' absence meant for the two of you.

"Want to go for a dive?" V politely and graciously offered.

"Not really,..." you hesitated, feeling hot, excited and nervous all at the same time at the prospect of spending time alone with your lover. V smiled. Of course, he knew you wouldn't agree to - "O - on second thought, sure! Why not?" You stuttered awkwardly as you finally agreed, making the poet’s lips curl up in a smile.

It could simply be described as the most relaxing day you've had in many years. You and him diving in the ocean and swimming towards that beautiful rock formation, the two of you walking hand in hand as you picked up pretty sea shells in the sand along the way, you describing the lovely things you've seen in your travels, and him tenderly telling you that he wanted to see such things with you,...

It was,... so beautiful, and perfect. In fact, the two of enjoyed this alone time too much that you didn't even notice the setting sun. It was then that he suggested to take a rest for a while and watch the breathtaking sunset with you, making sure you still have that towel to sit on for later. And as you watched the soft glow of the twilight sky with him, you couldn't help but sigh in relief and contentment. The poet raised an eyebrow, urging you to tell him whatever made you react in such a way. You smiled and simply shook your head.

"Thank you so much, V." You whispered, making the poet hum in question. "You were giving me **_life_**, weren't you?"

V smiled as he wrapped an arm around your waist and kissed your temple. "And what made you say that, my love?"

"It's exactly **_that_**. Your gentle touch, your tender kisses, your warm embrace. Every time you do this, I feel this strange kind of power coming from you, and this gives me energy, somehow. Like, ah, how do I even explain this? Hmm,..."

"Like,... _**this**_?" V whispered in that low, almost moan - like, voice as he held you even closer, wrapping both of his arms around you, giving you no chance to think of a proper explanation. You were drowned in his overwhelming presence even more as he began kissing you, letting his lips move against yours in an intoxicating manner, letting your own passion guide you as you shyly reciprocated,...

... and even before you could go any further, he broke the kiss, smiling bashfully as he heard you whimper with disappointment.

"Tell me, darling," V whispered once more, sending your senses straight to Heaven. " ... did you feel,... **_something_**?"

You pouted, feeling a bit embarrassed that he was teasing you now of all times when you suddenly realized that you desperately needed him now. But, yes! You did feel something!

You nodded, simply because you couldn't trust your own voice. This scenery, the atmosphere, the man you loved above all else,...

Everything was just too perfect, and you were afraid that this was only like one of those vivid dreams you don't want to wake up from,...

"But, you're not dreaming. I'm here. With you."

You bit your lip, realizing that you've said your thoughts out loud, and looked up at him, only to see tenderness, and warmth, and **_something else_** in those beautiful green eyes of his.

"And I want to give you **_more_**." He said as his face went down close to yours again. "I **_need_** to give you **_more_**. _**More**_ and **_everything_** you deserved. **_I need you_**,..." You closed your eyes, feeling his lips descend upon yours once more,...

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡

It was breathtaking, absolutely marvelous to feel your lips on his, and even more was it overwhelming to feel your body against his, to be able to wrap his arms around you, to pull you close, and to never let you go again. There was a desperation in the way he clung to you, how his fingers dug into the fabric of the hoodie you wore as his lips moved against yours. And when your hands came up to his face, when you buried them in his hair to keep him close V quietly groaned into the kiss. The joy and bliss of having you here in his arms like this, to even think this day would ever be his reality was more than he could bear, and he gently urged you a few steps back, never breaking the kiss, not once putting any distance between your bodies. You didn’t put up any resistance as V carefully lowered you onto the towel you sat on earlier, and only when your back made contact with the soft fabric did you open your eyes and slowly break the kiss.

It was hard to not cover you in kisses and touches as you lay there beneath him, to shower you with all the love and care you deserved from the very beginning. You looked up at him out of those beautiful eyes, lips swollen and parted, your hands still on his face. V just wanted to offer you everything you needed and wanted from him, everything he couldn’t give you for such a long time, everything he refused to give you. He has been such a fool…

“V?” you cupped his cheek and he grabbed your hand to press his lips against your open palm. Your sharp intake of breath sent a shiver down his spine. He kept your hand in his as he sought out your eyes again.

“Is this alright?” all he wanted was to make sure you still wanted him, that you trusted him to take care of you despite everything he has done, that you needed him as much as he needed you. He felt his heart swell in his chest as you nodded and whispered a breathless “yes” to him.

V let go of your hand as he lowered his face back to yours and engulfed your lips with his own again. A tingling sensation wandered along his spine as you sighed into the kiss, it awakened every nerve in his body on its way and left him craving more of these beautiful sounds. All he wanted was to bask in your love, in the feelings and sensations you conjured up within him, and to drown in the feeling of your skin and body against his own.

His breathing got heavier when you parted your lips to allow his tongue to slip between them, but a gasp he couldn’t suppress made him break the kiss as you adjusted your position, and suddenly he was between your legs, his hips came into contact with yours. His heartbeat accelerated as a wave of desire flooded his mind and soul and for a moment he felt dizzy, too overcome with the sensations of having you so close to him.

There was a slight tremble in his hands when he allowed one of them to slip underneath the hoodie. Your soft skin felt heavenly beneath his hand and he pushed the pink fabric up slowly, gave you all the time to protest, but when you didn’t and in fact sat up yourself to pull the piece of clothing over your head, his eyes widened ever so slightly. You smiled up at him bashfully when you laid back down. V reciprocated the smile, incredibly moved by how adorable and sweet you were and he couldn’t help but kiss you again.

He allowed one of his hands to travel over the soft skin of your body and he reveled in the quiet moan that slipped past your lips and was swallowed by his when his hand slid over your breast, barely so covered by your thin bikini top. You clung to him, he felt your body tremble beneath his own and your fingers dug and pull into the shirt he still wore. V smirked at you when you broke the kiss and he leaned back. His eyes never left yours as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it into the sand, and the way you stared up at him, chest heaving, breath leaving you in pants and gasps, thighs quivering next to his; it was breathtaking, just the sight alone made every part of his body, heart and soul yearn for you, and all he wanted was to make you feel the same way.

V leaned back down and reached for your hand, pressed a kiss to the back of it before he placed it on his chest, directly over his heart. He knew you must feel how his heart was racing, how hard it was pumping in his chest, too caught up in you and everything he felt for you. Your eyes widened and you stared into his.

“Take it all,” he whispered against your lips, “All of this belongs to you.”

He pressed a peck to your lips as you shuddered beneath him because of his words, and your arms wrapped around him. You pulled him closer to your body and it was his time to sigh against your skin. His lips descended upon your neck as his hand returned to your chest and he slowly pulled that piece of clothing away from your body. His body came alive above yours as you gasped and moaned, slightly writhed beneath him when he caressed your neck and chest with his lips and hand. He cherished every single sound you made, every little whisper of his name, every twitch of your muscles and all he wanted was more. To give you more, to hear more, to make you feel more.

He spread kisses to every part of your body he could reach, not a single bit of skin was left untouched by his mouth and hands. He caressed every part of you, wanted to show you how beautiful you were to him, how much he loved you, how much he wanted to convey all of these emotions and sensations you stirred up inside of him.

Until his hand came into contact with the scar tissue on your thighs. He paused, the tips of his fingers barely so grazing the scars as a wave of dread and regret washed over him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His forehead came to rest against your chest.

“V?” your voice shook just like your hands as they settled on his shoulders. Your thighs twitched under the light touch of his fingers. You knew why he suddenly hesitated.

“I… don’t deserve this. None of this. And… certainly not you,” he whispered, his voice strained. Trembling fingers reached for his face and he looked into your eyes as you pulled his face up. Those beautiful eyes of yours shone with so many emotions and yet all he could see was affection and love, not a trace of blame or negative feeling and he couldn’t believe how you could still love him so much, how you still cared for him so much. He… wanted to make this right.

“You do. I waited so long. And only for you… please” 

He closed his eyes, leaned into your loving touch before his eyes stared into yours once more. “I will make this right again. I promise.”

“I know you will.”

His lips descended upon your body and he pressed kisses to every part he could reach, all the while traveling lower and lower. He would show you that he could make this right, that he could make you feel good, that he was capable of more than hurting you. And when he reached your thighs, when his mouth and hands came into contact with the scars he caused, he made sure to give them all the gentle attention he could muster. He caressed them until you were writhing and sighing beneath him, until your thighs quivered in pleasure. He may not be able to take the scars away, but he would wipe the pain away, from every single scar he put on your body. He would worship your skin and body until the only thing you associated with those scars were his caresses and loving touch upon them.

His lips and tongue were still kissing and licking your thighs when his fingers hooked beneath the fabric of the remaining piece of clothing on your body. He slowly pulled the lower part of your bikini from your body until you were completely bare before him.

“So beautiful,” he whispered as he stared down at your form, naked and trembling, eyes staring up at him full of affection and wonder, hair splayed out around you. The sight was breathtaking and overwhelming, and all he wanted was to get closer, to engulf your body with his, to pull you into his arms as you both shared these so very intimate feelings and sensations, to share his energy with you and give you back the life you always deserved.

V slid his lips and hands back up your body, it took everything within him to not put his lips on you, to not catch a taste of you. He would keep that for later. There was no need to rush anymore. He already gave you his energy, there was no more threat to your or his own life anymore, but he was far from done. He caught your lips with his and swallowed your moan blissfully. His own heart threatened to burst out of his chest when his fingers slid lower on your body until they came into contact with your folds. The wetness his fingers found there made him groan into the kiss. You broke the kiss, moaning and trembling as you leaned your head to the side and he took what was offered and placed his lips against your neck again, while his fingers gently explored your folds and clit.

He reveled in the soft sounds you made, in the way your hips chased the contact of his fingers and for a moment V almost felt dizzy, his composure cracked just a bit and instead of kissing your neck he just kept his lips there, just enjoying how nice and soft your skin felt beneath his own. A strangled moan spilled over your lips as one of his fingers slowly found its way inside of you. Your fingers dug into his shoulders and you tensed a bit, but V felt his chest swell with warmth when he whispered soothing words into your ear and you relaxed more and more, your walls easing around his finger and accepting this new sensation.

He worked you up slowly. He moved his finger in and out of you slowly, curled it and made sure to press his palm against your clit, until you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and almost whimpered against him. And slowly he added another finger, prepared you with gentle movements, soothing words of praise whispered into your ear, until your moaned “please” made him twitch in the shorts he still wore and he felt he could slowly take it further. He pulled his fingers back and your quiet whimper at the loss sent a tingling sensation down his spine which gathered right in the very depths of his body. God, he needed you…

V pulled his shorts down and your curious as much as surprised gaze as you let it slide over his naked body caused a new wave of heat and desire to course through him. He nearly groaned when you willingly parted your legs more for him, when you reached out for him with trembling hands to grab a hold of his shoulders. V slid one arm beneath your body to pull you close to him as his other hand reached for himself. He was shaking himself, he noticed, when he aligned himself with your oh so inviting and welcoming heat. He couldn’t believe this was about to happen, that he would share with you this most intimate of feelings, that you were in his arms despite everything he’s done to you…

He looked into your eyes, searched for any signs of doubt or hesitation, but all he found was this incredibly burning love and a hidden glow of expectancy and wonder. He kissed you, devoured your lips with his own with a passion that made you moan into the kiss, and he slowly pushed forward.

It was overwhelming to find his way inside of you, how your body stretched around him, how hot and blissful it was to feel you so close to him. His arms shook as he paused, forced himself to not push further to let you adjust, to let you know this would happen at your own pace. He would give up any bit of control and hand it to you willingly, he would let you rule over him, if it meant he could take the pain of hurting you away. All he wanted was to love you, to show you that he was a fool for hurting you, for ever doubting your feelings and intentions.

He pushed forwards the tiniest bit more, allowed your heat to engulf him even more until he felt you tense and let out a strangled whimper. V paused, stilled completely. He only pulled you close, presses tender kisses to every part he could reach, whispered sweet nothings into your ear, until the pain of being joined like this for the first time faded and he felt you relax once more.

“All this time you waited for me and I… I pushed you away. Please… forgive me, for being such a fool.”

You didn’t reply. Instead you wrapped your legs around his waist, and V moaned, for a moment losing himself completely in the sensations of being fully inside of you, of your body being wrapped around him like this. V closed his eyes, pressed his face into the crook of your neck to regain some control, to not find his end right there already.

It was all too much. To be so close to you, to be joined with you like this, to know that you welcomed him like this, that you forgave him for all the pain he caused you. V moaned, his lips tightly pressed against your skin, as he slowly, gently moved inside of you. Every move, every thrust, every roll of his hips sent waves of pleasure and heat through his body and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. It was just too much. You were just too much.

You whimpered his name and he followed the pull on his hair. Any sound that may have escaped his lips was swallowed up by your lips catching his. For a moment he lost his rhythm, incapable of keeping up with how fiery your kiss was, how you took his breath away with your lips on his, your tongue moving against his own, your fingers caressing his face.

And it was then that he felt and saw it. How your flushed, sweaty skin looked healthier, how the color of your hair seemed more vibrant, how your touch and the way you clung to him seemed stronger. Any remaining toll the past took on your body and soul seemed to be wiped away as this so intimate moment between the two of you allowed him to give you more of his energy, more of his own strength. In the past he only caused pain to you, but now he could reverse that, he could make you feel better, give you a chance of a happy life. And if that included him, he would share everything he was and had himself. He would give it all up.

He felt himself approaching his end quickly, and while he hardly cared, he would not allow himself to fall off the edge without you. V kept one arm around you, didn’t allow any space between your bodies, he didn’t stop his thrusts inside of your welcoming heat, as one hand slipped between the two of you.

You choked on a moan of his name as his fingers found your clit, and he rubbed the so slick and hot nub in gentle motions. His lips descended upon your neck again before they traveled to your ear, catching the lobe between his lips before his voice, deep and breathless, whispered into your ear, all the while never stopping neither his thrusts nor the motions of his fingers.

“You feel wonderful,” he reveled in the trembling of your body, “so beautiful,” he sighed into your ear, “I love you, darling.”

You clenched around him with a breathless cry of his name. Your legs quivered around his waist, your arms shook as they blindly reached for him, and V pressed you close, kept his eyes on your gorgeous face distorted by the sensations he was causing you as your mind and body were caught in the waves of pleasure. He didn’t avert his eyes, didn’t stop moving, he wanted to catch every sensation of this incredible moment, and only when you gasped for breath, when the shaking of your body got less intense did he close his own eyes and surrendered to the feelings and sensations coursing through himself.

He followed you over the edge in mere moments. The coil in his body snapped, all the pressure that built up was released at once and waves of bliss and relief crushed over him. V moaned breathlessly, pressed your still shaking body against his own, while his hips twitched against yours as he spilled himself into you, before he stilled completely.

You were a mess of entangled and trembling limbs. Heavy pants and gasps filled the evening air, the sound of the ocean a mere faint whisper in the distance, as you both came down from these most intense highs. It felt like an eternity until V felt capable of lowering you back onto the towel. He sighed as he slowly pulled out of you, and laid down next to you, only to pull you into his arms again immediately. You both lay there silently, embracing and trembling, calming down and basking in the aftermath as you both processed what just occurred between the two of you. But when you raised your head, when he saw your dazzling smile, V felt his own heart skip a beat. He met your lips halfway and smiled into the kiss, still too caught up in the pleasure and the bliss of knowing that you were his, that despite all the hurt he caused you, you loved him and wanted him at your side.

And he would make sure to never give you a reason to doubt him again. He would never hurt you ever again. He would make it up to you and finally give you the chance of living a happy and fulfilling future. And if you so wished, with him by your side.

***


	37. I Will, Gladly!

V left.

No, he didn't _leave_ you like _that_, no.

It's just that, he and the other Devil Hunters had business to attend to. _An old score to settle_, just like what Nero said. Something that was related to someone named Mundus. Well, you didn't know the person ( or if he's a person, at all ) but, V said he’s dangerous. Of course, you wanted to beg him to let you come but, you knew he would never allow it. Heck, the Devil Hunters didn't even allow Nico to come. Lady was one thing but, you being powerless as of that moment? V simply refused.

So, with a promise that he'll keep you posted with everything that will happen to them, he went away with Dante, Nero, Trish, Lady, Griffon and Shadow. He also left Andromeda with you so you could have a source of power should things get awry on your side. Also to keep you vitalized while he's gone.

And just like that, V left.

** _And that was six years ago._ **

For at least a year and a half, V never failed to send you letters and postcards, telling you of those wonderful places he visited with the rest of the group in search of this Mundus. Places that he would visit again but, with you by his side. He told you, in these letters and postcards, how much he missed you, how much he longed to be by your side, to hold you in his arms and kiss you and make you his over and over again. He told you how much he loved you and you alone, above all else. You cherished these hand - written notes from the man you loved and kept them close. You prayed for the safety of their group, and for their safe return.

But, just like that, he stopped sending letters and postcards nearly five years ago, which has made all of you, including Nico ( who lost contact with them about the same time V stopped writing ), and Kyrie ( who has to take care of her and Nero's precious five year - old daughter and manage the orphanage all by herself ) awfully worried.

You tried sending Andromeda over and over again to see if they were doing fine but, the entity refused, telling you that it is her sworn duty to protect you and never leave your side. Nico tried many times to contact the team but, every single time she managed to hit a stable connection, something strange and unexplainable would interrupt, leaving her listening to just static. Kyrie helped you send letters to the addresses where V sent his, hoping that he would, by any chance, receive them.

But, to no avail.

Still, you didn't lose hope. You distracted yourself during the day, and you fervently prayed each night. You kept the smile on your face, and kept the hope alive in your heart.

Hoping that someday, he, and the rest of the group, would return, safe and sound.

Maybe it was that hope and inspiration that made you do simple but, life - changing things, which, somehow, made an impact and directly influenced your closest friends.

You may have lost the ability to dance but, still, it didn't stop you from establishing your very own little ballet school for beginners next to a church in Fortuna where you lived. Even the kind and gentle Sister Christina flew all the way from Germany to lend her support as an overseeing headmistress while you do the ballet instructing, yourself. You even have Nero and Kyrie's girl, Eva, as one of your little protégés ( who were mostly from poor families of Fortuna whose homes were destroyed by the Dreadnought six years ago ). You even got the surprise of your life, when, one day, the man who made Galatea showed up in the school's doorstep and revealed that he was, in fact, your parents' grandson. Through him, you found out that your precious parents didn't die, after all, after the Pale Ones abducted you and your sister. They were powerless against the cult, and they weren't able to do anything when the news of the Fortuna Castle's fire reached them. They thought you were dead, and has since moved on and had another child. He also revealed that they never forgot about you and your sister until death, and the old photograph they have of you was the thing that inspired him to make Galatea.

Cagliostro, who was, surprisingly, engaged to none other than Alicia, who has fully grown into a beautiful and mature woman, helped with the interior decorating. He has finally moved on from his heartbreak and found a new purpose in life - to be a much better artist and build a family of his own with his Hispanic fiancée.

Alicia, on the other hand, has figured out that her mother's strange behavior before her death was due to an unknown mental illness caused by a past trauma, and has since then dedicated the early years of her life as a licensed doctor to help people with the same case and helped a larger, more prominent medical team to develop a cure for this. 

Petya ( who was balding and happy ) and Natasha ( who still preferred being called Solagne ) never failed to drop by almost every month, bringing both French and Russian beverages with them, just to have little parties with you and the rest of your little group of loving friends. You even saw the haughty woman teaching music to your students during your break ( you only kept this to yourself but, you knew that the poor woman, who, according to Petya, was unfortunately unable to conceive, was longing for a cute little girl of her own ).

Nico, who still kept her lines open just in case one of the Devil Hunters called, improved a lot as an Artisan during those six years of her friend and partner, Nero's absence. Of course, just like you and Kyrie, she never lost hope that they would return someday, and since then, she has developed more powerful and much more revolutionary weapons for Nero to use. Guns, Devil Breakers, and even other, weird - looking gadgets that she called **_works of art_**. You even told her that she has surpassed her grandmother, Nell Goldstein, and more but, the woman wouldn't admit this. Said that she must first let Nero test all of her creations and let him admit _that_ to her straight in the face.

Kyrie, just like you, remained ever vigilant. In fact, now that her daughter's growing up, she wanted nothing more than to have Nero finally meet his little girl. She helped you with the ballet school whenever she has time off the orphanage she and her husband built. She even cooked sumptuous meals for you and your little prima ballerina wannabes. And when the busy days were finally over, she, who you built a strong, friendly relationship with over those six years, would always go with you to the nearby church to pray for the return of your beloved ones.

A lot has happened during those years, things that helped you grow as a person.

And on the sixth year during the anniversary of the day you and V got together after so many trials and hardships, you decided to leave Fortuna for a bit to visit Red Grave, where Dante and V's house once stood.

After the Qliphoth incident that almost took the lives of hundreds of Red Grave's innocent citizens, the ruins of Sparda's residence has turned into a secret garden of some sort. For some reason, briars climbed on the broken walls and pillars, filling the whole place with vines, thorns, and roses. Yes. Roses of all kinds and colors. The mansion has turned into the largest rose garden you have ever seen.

You marveled at the sight and settled down, placing your bag on an old bench and sitting next to it. And as soon as your eyes landed on the beautiful sunset, you couldn't help but feel miserable. You and V loved watching the sunset from this very bench, and he has even told you that this has become his most favorite place in the world, now that this old house has turned into a massive garden of wild and fragrant roses.

And the moment you thought of V, you couldn't help but cry silent tears of longing.

Yes, you refused to let them see your weak side but, it didn't stop you from crying each night, from having dreams of him and you being together,...

... of you finally being lovingly held in his arms,...

"Where are you, V?" You miserably wept as your arms automatically went up to wipe your tears with the sleeves of your pink hoodie. "I missed you, so, so, so much,..."

You stayed there for what seemed like hours until you felt you could no longer cry, and when the moon has risen high above the starry sky, just like that one evening when you danced your first ever waltz with him, you decided to stand and retire for the day. Just then, some nagging thoughts plagued your mind,...

_Did they fail in their mission to bring down Mundus? What if they, he, never return? What would happen now? What - ?_

All of a sudden, you felt the temperature drop. Your hands went up to rub your arms due to the sudden cold that sent shivers up and down your back.

The wind blew, making the clouds roll by, concealing the moon and plunging the whole place in darkness.

That was when you saw,... something,... from a distance. At first, you thought your eyes were deceiving you but, alas, you were wrong.

If anything, they even widened at the sight that greeted you.

An unearthly slash in mid air, the blue and purple light radiating from it as if the atmosphere, itself, was ripped, and some _people_ emerging from it.

"Why did you bring us here?" A familiar voice, which made you emotional all over again, questioned, his voice ringing in the air and disturbing everything within his immediate vicinity.

"Because V told me so!" Another answered.

"Whatever! I'll just go back to the shop and order pizza. Wanna come with me, ladies?"

"You're inviting us, Dante? Are you serious?!"

"Hey, what's wrong with that, huh, Lady?"

"Nothing. Except that your shop probably has six years worth of dust now. No, thanks!"

"How about you, Trish?"

"No, thanks. I want to go back to my own house and have a long bath."

"Eh, whatever. I'm not sharing!"

"Hey, look!"

Your eyesight almost became blurry with tears as the group finally noticed you standing from a distance. From there, you saw Dante ( who, easy to say, has become scruffier than ever before ), Nero ( who now looked a bit more like Dante due to his beard and shoulder - length hair ), Lady ( whose looks somehow stayed the same ), Trish ( who, just like the former, seemed to not have changed, at all ), Griffon ( still bald, and still lanky ), and Shadow ( now the same height as Lady and Trish and no longer a little girl but, a gorgeous young woman ).

But, what made you truly emotional was the figure standing behind them, slightly concealed.

Shoulder length snow white hair now long and waist length, emerald eyes that looked more gentle than ever before with little creases below them, that all - too familiar posture as he leaned on his metal cane, and that smile you missed so much,...

"Hey, uh, send my regards to Kyrie and Nico, will ya?" Dante told Nero as he nudged his nephew with an elbow. He, then, waved and winked at you as he gestured towards the silent man behind him.

"Let's go home." Lady said as she smiled at you.

"I'm with you." Trish replied as she waved at you, finally leaving the place together with Lady and Dante.

"Let's go back to Fortuna, you two." Nero told Griffon and Shadow. "I could sense Kyrie making apple pie right now."

"Talk to ya later, sweet pea!" Griffon yelled and waved at you as he went with Nero and Shadow back to the portal the Yamato has just made.

Which left only the two of you.

You had no idea what went on between the two of you during those awkward and agonizing moments or how long it took for you to finally go to him. You didn't even notice the clouds as they rolled away to let the moon shine down once more. And when he finally wrapped you in an embrace you longed so much for so long, you couldn't help but soak his white shirt with tears.

"Ssh, it's alright." He whispered to your ear as his hands rubbed your back to warm you. "I'm here now. I'm here."

"W - welcome back, V!" You greeted through your sobs, making the poet chuckle in amusement. "I have waited for so long! I never lost hope that you would return, but just now, I thought that - "

"It's alright, my love. Everything would be fine now. Our hunt for Mundus has brought us all to the Underworld. And he is gone. Finally gone. At last, we can finally live in peace."

You looked up at him and let him wipe your tears away with his thumbs. "Is that why we can't reach you? You went to the Underworld?"

"Yes. And I'm afraid to say that,... time works differently there from here. We've only been there for six days but,... when we resurfaced, it seems that,... six years,... has already passed."

"Are you okay? Were you hurt? Tell me, please! I will take care of you,..."

"There's no need. I will be the one who will take care of you. And I'm sorry,... for disappearing for too long,..."

"You don't have to say sorry. You fought bravely for us. Oh, dear God, I missed you so much! I missed you, so, so much!"

"And I missed you too, my love." V told you as he pulled you even closer to him if that's still possible. "You see, I even rushed here to meet you."

And you? You couldn't explain the happiness that was flooding your chest and making it burst.

"But, how did you know I will go here?"

"Cassandra told me."

"Oh, I see."

"Hmm,..."

You gave him a look of utter confusion as he let you go, chuckling as he noticed the pout on your lips.

"I have,... something for you." He said as he grabbed something from his bag. You eagerly waited as he searched, and when he finally handed you a pack of popcorn, you couldn't help but smile.

"You bought this, V?" You asked him as the smell of butter reached your nostrils.

"Yes. We haven't finished Endgame, have we?"

"Come to think of it, no, we haven't." You admitted.

V smiled as he reached for his bag once more, producing a stuffed tiger from it and giving it to you, reminding you of,...

"Is this,... did you win this at the carnival?"

V proudly hummed. "I have,... quite a skill with,... should we say,... _sniping_?"

_Oh, God, he remembered!_ You happily thought. _He remembered I have a really bad aim and couldn't win the stuffed tiger at the carnival._

"And that's not all." V said.

"Hmm?"

"I went fishing."

"Oh, you did?! What happened?"

"I caught a boot."

"YOU DIDN'T!"

V laughed, the sound of his low voice sending warmth all throughout your whole body. In fact, you have never felt so warm in your entire life. And when he handed you a single boot from his bag just for laughs, you fell in love with him all over again.

"I - I never thought this is possible, oh my!" You confessed through fits of laughter, however, at this point, the smile on V's face vanished. You noticed this and went silent as he took the boot from your hands and upended it, making a small velvet box the color of your eyes fall from it. Then, he went down on one knee and opened the box, revealing the most beautiful ring with an emerald attached to it.

_Why,... did you not see this coming?_

But, whatever the reason was, V was right there, right in front of you, offering you something more than just an emerald ring inside a boot he claimed he has fished.

And when he looked into your eyes, you saw something.

** _Truth._ **

** _Loyalty._ **

** _Love._ **

** _Passion._ **

And most importantly,...

**_I see,..._ **you thought as your heart filled up with love and gladness. **_My future,... before me,..._**

"(Y/N) (L/N)," V declared. " ... will you marry me?"

***


	38. Epilogue

_Meanwhile, in another plane,..._

"That,... is the most foolish idea I have ever heard." The one in blue flat out told his twin without even considering his feelings, or his opinions regarding the matter.

"Face it, Verge, we're getting a bit older here." The one in red answered as he reviewed the recruitment poster he made one more time. "And these Demons come more frequently than ever before after we got back from the hell hole. We need all the help we could get."

And what Dante was saying was all true. Yes, they successfully severed the roots of the Qliphoth from the Underworld and managed to get out of there after beating so many Demons that came after them horde after annoying horde.

And Vergil being the new King of the Underworld with the demonic fruit he's eaten when he was still Urizen? Oh, no, it didn't help with their case, at all. If anything, the Demons were even more ferocious than ever before. Like, who was this new King? This half - blood who didn't deserve to take over from the great Mundus, himself?

And then, there was that strange dream.

Ever since going back from that awful place nearly a year ago, Vergil has been having some strange dreams he couldn't quite explain. And in these dreams, there's this one woman who was always in it. No matter what he did in those nightly episodes, whether he's reading, watching the sunset, or playing the violin, she's always there, watching him.

But, _why_?

Vergil clicked his tongue as he massaged his temples. "It is you who is getting old, Dante."

"Whatever." His twin answered, getting up from his seat behind his messy desk and making his way towards the door of his hot and dark shop. "I'm posting this, anyway."

The older brother shook his head, unable to stop his sibling from doing what he wanted. And when Dante was done putting the sign outside, he gave him a glare that could very well stop any normal person dead in their tracks.

"This,... will not work." Vergil warned him for the very last time.

"Says the man who can't even use a cellphone!" Dante mocked as he collapsed on his chair and put his feet up on the table. He fished out the old Bokia model from his pocket and took a good long look at it, squinting his eyes like the "old man" that he was to read what's in it. "Opera mini? What's that?"

Vergil sighed as he shook his head once more.

Not even an hour has passed and someone was already knocking on the door of the shop. Dante excitedly got up and went to the door to answer, and when he finally opened it, Vergil heard her voice,...

"It says you're recruiting for new hunters?" She said.

_That voice,_ Vergil thought. _Why did she sound,... so familiar?_

"Yes, we are! And you have come to the right place." Dante answered. "Come on in, don't be shy!"

It took Vergil a few seconds to realize that he was staring at her from the moment she entered the shop right up to the moment she greeted him.

But, why? Why did she look so familiar? It's as if,...

... he has seen her somewhere before but, **_where_**?

"Hey, Vergil, (Y/N) is saying hi!" Dante’s irritating voice brought him out of his own reverie. The younger sibling shook his head, his smile not leaving his face. "Please, forgive my brother. He's not really that friendly but, you'll see! Only took me about forty years worth of stabbing and a year of gardening and I finally got him to live here with me."

The girl named (Y/N) giggled at Dante's quips. "_Gardening_? Oh! Do you mean that,... strange demonic tree from last year?"

"Yeah, that! We're the ones who took it down." Dante said as he went back to his usual place behind his desk. "So, tell me: what weapon do you use in Demon hunting?"

"Guns, mostly sniper riffles but, when,..."

_This girl,_ Vergil thought as he finally focused his full attention at her. _I have definitely seen her somewhere before. And if I'm not mistaken, she was,..._

"That is very interesting." Dante answered with a nod of approval. He, then, held out his hand. "No use in making any of this more complicated. You're hired!"

"Oh! That's it?" The girl answered as she hesitantly took Dante's hand. "I mean, no tests, no proof of strength, not anything?"

"You two sure talk a lot."

Dante and the girl turned their head towards Vergil, confused as to his sudden interruption.

"Oh, get used to this, brother! It's nice to have some company around for a change."  
“Says the irresponsible man who doesn’t want anyone to interfere with his,… gigs.” Vergil answered in a way that made the girl giggle.

"And your name is Vergil?" The girl asked him with a sincere and gentle smile as she held her hand out to him for a handshake. "My name is (Y/N). I'm looking forward to finally working with you!"

_This girl,... is too much,..._

Dante shook his head and winced in embarrassment upon seeing his stoic older brother refuse a handshake from a very beautiful girl.

Feeling awkward and rejected, (Y/N) withdrew her hand and tucked it neatly at her side. She, then, turned towards Dante and focused her attention at him, instead. "When do I start?"

"Eh, will tomorrow do?"

"Oh! Of course, yes."

"But, you just arrived from Paris. Will you be okay?"

"I will be fine." The girl answered confidently as she gave him a smile that reminded Vergil of something else.

His hand left his forehead, he stood up straight, and his eyes focused once more on her. If he would be spending the next days of his life in this hot and smelly shop with her, he might as well confirm whether his suspicions regarding her were correct, that she was - 

"By the way, do you have a messanger?" Dante asked her out of the blue all of a sudden as he shamelessly took out the old Bokia from his pocket.

"I do." The girl answered as she took out hers, a brand new and chic (F/C) colored Somesang model.

"What's your user name? I will add you to a group I just made.”

"**_Sexy (Y/N)_**."

Vergil almost slid from his chair from what he heard from her. _Almost_.

_Ah, the girl has a lot of cheek! We'll see about that,..._

"Ah, how do you spell that?" Dante asked her as he started typing on the old model with two thumbs. 

"All caps S, S, S, small letters e, x, y, no space, (Y/N). First letter of the name is capital."

"Oh! You mean, **_SSSexy(Y/N)_**?"

"Yeah! That."

Dante smiled as he pressed a button on his Bokia, a move that would, otherwise, annihilate other models.

"Welcome to the group!"

_Welcome aboard, indeed_, Vergil thought as he planned on how to test her worth as a Demon hunter.

***

** _THE END_ **


End file.
